


Married life with Rose and Alec

by silversurfer60



Series: New life [3]
Category: Broadchurch, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Drama, F/M, Family, Fobwatch, Pete's World, Post-Season/Series 01, Relationship(s), Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2015-06-26
Packaged: 2018-04-06 06:34:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 54,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4211754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silversurfer60/pseuds/silversurfer60
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following on from 'Rose Tyler's new life, their journey continues as they marry and settle down in a small village just outside Broadchurch and plan to start a family. All is not settled though, there are some surprises, excitement and scares for the newlyweds and the first birthday present that Rose buys Alec Hardy just after they met comes into its own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prologue
> 
> Following on from 'Rose Tyler's new life' their journey continues as they marry and settle down in a small village just outside Broadchurch and plan to start a family.
> 
> All is not settled though, there are some surprises, excitement and scares for the newlyweds and the first birthday present that Rose buys Alec just after they met comes into it's own.
> 
> Lots of unanswered questions are answered about them being meant to be together and a certain pocket watch turns out to be an important element in their lives.
> 
> Mickey also settles down in Leeds with a nice young female Doctor called Martha when he meets her in a bar near the hospital she works in part-time, her real job though is to keep an eye on Mickey for Torchwood, a job she doesn't mind because she had a crush on him before he left and was more than happy to take up the post. This puts the question of him ever bothering Rose and Alec again to rest.
> 
> Don't think that this is a boring domesticated Rose and Alec because it is far from it.
> 
> If you've not read "Rose Tyler's new life" it is advisable to do so before reading the follow up.
> 
> Please excuse any spelling or grammatical mistakes, I am in the process of editing all the stories and it may take some time!

Since the day of their engagement went horribly wrong, Alec decided that the following weekend he would make it up to Rose so he told her to pack some things and pick him up at the station at one o'clock on the Friday for a long weekend and he'd drive them somewhere nice. He'd been right that the staff in the station had not let him live down the events of last Sunday asking if his future mother-in-law was in law enforcement and was it a jealous ex-boyfriend who was upset that the Inspector had got his ex-girlfriend pregnant but they soon went onto something else when they discovered that two other Officers were having an affair.

So Rose, not knowing whether to pack a bikini or not, chose a bit of everything including Alec's swim shorts which she reluctantly packed, the usual holiday stuff and got everything ready. She didn't know where they were going but she thought it strange he had asked her to pack his best suit. It was mid July so she figured they might need summer clothes even staying in England.

Friday, she set off down to the station to pick him up and he came out exactly on time. The officer on duty had got used to her and nodded to her. Rose greeted Alec with a kiss as he took the driver's seat. Just over an hour later, they arrived in sunny Torquay and Alec pulled up at one of the fanciest top hotels in the town, complete with swimming pool, sauna, spa and the works. Rose was glad she'd not wore a skimpy dress for the drive there. After they checked into their room, they went to try out the swimming pool.

Over their dinner later on, Alec asked Rose is she had any preference as to where they got married and she said she didn't mind, just so long as it was somewhere warm and quiet. Alec said it was warm here, Rose laughed.

"Rose, sweetheart, do you know why I chose this hotel?" Rose shook her head. "Because they do weddings here and we can get married tomorrow if you say yes," as he took her hand.

"Are you serious, Alec, we only got engaged two weeks ago, you don't waste any time do you, Inspector? Besides, I didn't pack anything to wear for a wedding although I did wonder why you asked me to pack one of your suits, which I thought a bit odd. Should have known."

"Then you go shopping in the morning to find the best dress in town for you to wear. We can get married at three o'clock and Ellie is getting Olly to look after the boys and she's going to meet us here to be our witness. Then we go back home on Sunday, pack more clothes and drive to Southampton to join a 12 night cruise around the Mediterranean and before you protest that your mother will go ballistic over this, I have your step-father's blessing and he helped me arrange it so quickly. He felt so bad about what happened and wanted to help me make it up to you. So Rose, what do you say? If it's anything other than yes I'll be sorely disappointed. We can have a big reception at your parents house on the Saturday afternoon when we get back, invite Ellie and the boys for the weekend and everyone will be happy. We can drive straight there when we get back, sweetheart. Your dad isn't telling your mum yet until Monday or she'll be down here before we get down to breakfast in the morning. It will give her something to do and appease her. Is that a yes then?"

Rose couldn't believe what Alec had just come out with as she said yes to him. How had all this been arranged in less than a week, she had been used to things happening so fast when she had travelled with the Doctor, apart from the time when she'd missed a year and Mickey had been taken in for questioning several times at her mother's request. She knew her dad could get things done quickly but this was off the scale even for him so he and Alec must have been on the phone non-stop without her knowledge to pull this off. Still, she had thought the night Alec proposed to her that it would be a short engagement and this was breaking all records. Another sign surely that this was right, just as Alec had wanted to give her time to think about it and she hadn't needed it, telling him on the spot that she would. She thought that must have been his best birthday present ever.

As she stood facing him as they had gone up to their room, Alec having let the hotel Manager know they were going ahead with the wedding, he took her hands in his and they looked out over the balcony to the sea, he put his arms around her and asked her, "Rosie, can you imagine travelling and waking up in a different place every morning?" He hadn't realised what he'd just said.

Rose did indeed know what it was like, waking up on a new planet every morning but she didn't mention it to him. He sensed he'd said something. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I didn't mean that you'd not travelled before it's just the first time I've done it. Sure I've been different places but not on a cruise and I'm sure you have, even to different planets but it's all new to me. Travelling with someone I love."

Rose soon recovered. "It's ok, Inspector, I know you didn't mean anything. It's just I haven't travelled since I've been here except to Norway and I'd rather not go there again."

Alec knew all about Bad Wolf Bay and what it had meant to her. When she had told him her story, that had been the part that stuck in his mind. She had not only lost her Doctor and had her heart broken once but twice and he'd been a complete ass and made it three times, something he couldn't now forgive himself for. He had done everything in his power now to mend her broken heart. "You're a fine one to be talking about hearts," he thought.

"Then my sweet Rosie I will order the Captain of the ship not to anywhere near Norway, not that it's in the Mediterranean but just in case he decides to take a detour." He kissed her forehead and sat her down on one of the chairs and sat opposite her. Not letting go of her hands, he kissed the back of her left hand and put his fingers between hers and touched her ring.

"I suppose you've already got the wedding ring, Inspector?" Rose asked. Alec nodded. "Then I'll have to go do some shopping of my own tomorrow when I go choose a dress. That's if you want a ring? she teased. Alec smiled and nodded again as he leaned over and put his other hand around her shoulder.

Then he whispered in her ear "I love you Rose Tyler and of course I want to wear a ring, I want everyone to know I'm married to you," and kissed her cheek.

Rose looked up. "You do know that you're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding don't you, Inspector?" she teased.

"Well if you go into the town in the morning, you can meet up with Ellie and choose you dress and a ring then I won't see you, will I? Besides, it's supposed to be that you don't see the bride in her wedding dress and since I won't then there's no problem, is there? Why don't you send her a text and get her to come down early and help you choose a dress? Then when you're on your way back, I can leave the room so you can have it to yourselves for an hour of so. I can go wait downstairs for you. Ellie can help you get ready."

"Great, there's just one thing though, Inspector," as Rose stood up, pulling him up with her.

"What's that my sweet?"

"It means you are going to have to behave yourself tonight and save it for our wedding night. You managed it once before, when I let you stay that first night so it's keep your shorts on night tonight, Inspector," she giggled.

Alec pretended to be disappointed but he knew she was right. It would be worth it in the long run. "OK, Rosie, I'll agree but under protest. We'll just keep it the same as we did that night. Besides, you need to save your strength for our wedding night." They both smiled as they thought about that first night when they had just fallen asleep in each others arms.

That agreed, Rose sent a text to Ellie who agreed to meet Rose around 11 am outside the hotel to go shopping. It was only about an hour's drive and she said she would get Olly to take the boys early.

That night, they just lay together, kissing, touching with Alec in his shorts and Rose borrowing one of his t-shirts that was loose fitting on her and just her knickers, Alec never breaking his promise and Rose not even worried that he would. She trusted him beyond any doubt. It had been a long time since she had trusted anyone and she liked it.

Alec woke her at 8 am and they went to breakfast. Alec stopped off and made the final arrangements with the hotel staff. They were going to have just a few drinks in the bar but Ellie of course would be driving. They were going to stay the night and drive back on Sunday morning and join the cruise ship late that afternoon as the sailing was at six. That would give them time to pack and get down there and leave their car. Alec had already put in for two weeks leave and Rose didn't have to worry about the shop but sent a text to Clare that she wouldn't be in for the next couple of weeks and left Ellie's number if there was a problem.

Ellie arrived on time and Rose kissed Alec goodbye and the two of them went into the town. Ellie insisted she had learned of Alec's plan only on the Friday morning when he announced he had been granted leave and asked her to drive down to Torquay and be their witness. She said he must have the powers of persuasion to get leave so quickly but Rose suspected her step-dad had a hand in that.

Rose was stood with Ellie in a top of the range dress shop having just come from the shoe shop, getting a cream coloured pair of sandals then the jewellers and choosing a ring and a wedding present, an expensive wrist watch for Alec. While she was trying a dress on, deciding this was definitely the one, her mobile rang and it was her mother. Knowing better than to refuse the call, she gingerly answered, hoping her dad hadn't squealed on her and told Jackie about the wedding. "Better face the music," she told herself as she pressed the answer button. "She'd better make it quick, I'm getting married in just over two hours and I've got to get ready."

"Hi Mum, what's up?" she asked innocently.

"You know very well what's wrong Rose Marion Tyler."

Now Rose knew she was in trouble when her mum used her full name, something she rarely did.

"Did you really think you were going to get away with it? I should come down there right now and smack the pair of you," came Jackie's dulcet tones. "And don't think your dad's going to get you out of this one because he's just as much to blame. I've just found out your little arrangement, Lady."

"Erm, what arrangement is that Mum?" Rose tried to ask innocently. She was running out of time. She pulled back the curtain, beckoned Ellie and mouthed "My mum" to her and with one hand took off the dress and handed it to Ellie mouthing "Ask the assistant to wrap it, I'll be out in a min," as a bewildered Ellie took the dress from her and saw the price tag them remembered who Rose actually was and didn't think she had even looked at the ticket.

"Are you even listening to me Rose?'' her mother demanded. "I'm talking about your dad buying you a house and you paying him back – well?"

"Mum, it was his idea to save us getting a mortgage, we were just going to pay him instead of the bank. He didn't want us to have to go through applying for one, that's all. Alec agreed to it." Rose breathed a sigh of relief, pleased she had got away with the wedding but she was running against the clock and they had to get back to the hotel, do her hair and some makeup and get dressed and the clock was ticking. There was a time when she wouldn't have worried about 'Time' because she could go back and do it all again.

"Well, I've just found out and I'm surprised your dad even wants you to pay him and I've told him not to take anything from you, it will be our wedding present to you so pick the most expensive one you can find. The money will be yours one day anyway, might as well have some use out of it, never mind letting it sit in the bank and tell Alec he'll have to argue with me if he doesn't like it." She finally stopped for breath. Rose took the chance to escape.

''OK, I'll talk to Alec and to dad but I've gotta go now, I'm a bit busy, give my love to him and Tony," and she pressed the 'End Call' button gratefully.

She quickly finished getting changed, caught up with a dazed Ellie, paid the assistant and pulled Ellie out of the shop thinking thank goodness she went to get his ring and present and her shoes first. They were about a ten minute walk from the hotel and Ellie had left her car there so they hailed a taxi and were back in a few minutes. Ellie had taken the opportunity of ringing Alec to warn him Rose was nearly ready to return while she was paying for her overly priced dress. Creeping past the bar and lounge area, Ellie quickly peeking in and seeing Alec sat in a corner pretending to be reading a newspaper and a cup of what was probably coffee, they got into the lift. They had just under two hours to get ready. Ellie had stopped at her car to get her dress out which she had hung up by the back seat and once in the room, Rose went to wash her hair while Ellie got changed. Then a wedding bouquet arrived for Rose.

Thankful that the hotel supplied a hairdryer, Rose blow-dried her hair and began twisting it round with a brush while Ellie had hung up Rose's dress while she was in the bathroom and Rose was putting on a bit of makeup. She surveyed her new dress, hoping in her haste she had chosen the right one but once she put it on and looked in the mirror, Ellie assured her she looked great and Alec would love it. Forty minutes to go and Rose was getting nervous. Not that she didn't want to marry Alec, she so wanted to but because it had been all so sudden. Engaged for only two weeks and just about getting used to it, feeling the ring on her finger and people staring at her, probably remarking she had thawed the ice detective who everyone had loved to hate when he first came to town.

Ellie asked if she would be ok for ten minutes while she went to check on Alec who unbeknown to Rose had sent about 50 texts to her during the short time they were out asking if Rose was ok. She had only replied once saying "If you keep on like this you won't be in a fit state to marry her – Sir," so she disappeared to go check on him.

While she was gone Rose realised this was it. No going back now, she was fully committed to spending the rest of her life with Alec Hardy who she loved deeply. For the first time in her life there was a man with a face she loved and he wasn't going to leave her, wasn't going to change his face, well maybe grow back his beard but she doubted it. He wouldn't feel guilty about being happy, wouldn't have aliens and monster chasing him, he would grow old at the same rate as she would and he only had one heart and it belonged to her. Most important of all, he could spend the rest of his life with her.

As a knock came on the door and Ellie stood there, Rose knew it was time. She was marrying the man she loved – Alec Hardy.


	2. Chapter 2

After Rose and Ellie left to go shopping, Alec went back up to their room and got ready. He put on the suit Rose had hung up the day before thinking she must have indeed wondered why he had asked her to pack it and why she'd not asked him about it. Rose usually was very good at asking questions, he was going to suggest she joined the Police force. He put on his tie and put a silk hankie in the top pocket that he had put in the inside pocket on the Friday morning and put the pocket watch Rose had bought him for his birthday in front of the hankie with the chain hanging out. He figured he had a couple of hours to kill before Rose and Ellie came back. Ellie had agreed to ring him when they were leaving to get a taxi back. He got out his mobile and decided it was time to call his dad in Glasgow. They hadn't spoken in years, even before Alec's divorce, just sending birthday cards for his granddaughter and that had stopped when Alec had got divorced. He had no-one up in Scotland, not even his daughter.

He called his dad who was surprised to say the least to hear from his son and Alec told him about Rose, how he had met her and that they were getting married. He didn't seem interested. He just said he hoped she was better for him than the last one as he'd never liked her to start off with, wished him luck and rang off. "So much for that," Alec thought. "Well he can't say I never told him."

Alec had to face reality – he was on his own and had been for fifteen years since his daughter was born and he'd never even noticed. He had wrapped himself up in his work, tried to be the best father he could and it had been thrown back in his face. Well no more. He now had a family – Rose. Now he knew more than ever that whatever had happened to him as a child with his dreams that it was his destiny to find Rose out of over eight billion people on the planet, he had found one that had come from another world, another universe and he had almost ruined that because he hadn't believed such things existed.

Well now he did and he was sure he wasn't going to ruin it again. After the disastrous events of last Sunday, he had gone to work on Monday, ignored all the sly remarks that were going round and had called Peter Tyler before he left to go back to London asking him to help make it up to Rose for what had happened and knowing the love he had for his step-daughter he knew he'd agree to anything to make her happy as he'd felt partly responsible. So when Pete had got back to London he had called Alec back and was told what he had planned. Pete had immediate agreed to it, arranged Alec's leave at short notice and arranged to get them on the cruise with a bit of help from Torchwood and said he'd pick up the bill for the entire wedding. Alec had rung numerous hotels in the area that did weddings and was fortunate to come across one in Torquay that had one slot because of a cancellation so he snapped it up and told them to charge Peter Tyler which they hadn't believed until he actually rang them with his credit card details.

Keeping it from Rose and Jackie was the biggest challenge although only Rose was his concern, he left Pete to deal with Jackie which was not going to be an easy task from what he'd seen of her the previous weekend. He had thought about maybe dropping hints to Rose but thought it would more of a surprise if he just sprung it on her so he'd suggested going away somewhere nice for the weekend to make up for the last one. He had rung Jake to personally thank him for probably saving his life last Sunday but Jake had been modest to say the least saying he was charged now with protecting both of them since they became engaged and besides, he didn't fancy getting told off from Jackie if he didn't.

He had borrowed a car from the station and gone down to Dorchester to find a jewellers and chosen a wedding ring for Rose and a fine silver necklace with two hearts, thinking it had a dual purpose, that of them being together and the man with two hearts that she had lost because he knew that although Rose loved him with all her heart that she would never forget the man from another world, another planet. He wasn't jealous in the least, he never had been really. Rose had given her word there had been no romance between them, only her wanting more than friendship but it had never been. So he didn't care that he looked like a man from another planet, all he cared about was making Rose happy and that was exactly what he was going to do.

He had always been one for not waiting around and had thought being engaged for two weeks was enough time for Rose to get used to it so he had told her to pack a bag the night before they left. Rose had tried everything she could to get him to tell her where they were going but he never gave in, not even when she did his favourite thing to him which should normally have worked because it turned him to jelly when she did it and it had taken every ounce of strength to resist but he had and if she'd done it one more time he would have told her anything she wanted to hear. She knew his weak spot and she exploited it to her advantage but he also knew hers and if she'd tried to do it again the same night he was going to have to retaliate to make her stop.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

So Alec got the ten minute warning from Ellie saying Rose was paying for her dress and she would hold her up as much as she could so he could leave their room. She also warned him that Jackie Tyler was on the warpath but didn't know what it was about. Alec replied that is she knew they were getting married then Jackie would have got the fastest zeppelin she could find and would already be there. Ellie just laughed.

He had gone down to the bar area and ordered coffee as he had already got changed after Rose left. It had taken some time for it to sink in that this was it – his big day and he was more nervous now the hype had worn off after almost a week of non-stop phone calls to Pete and having to let him arrange things in a few days that would have taken him several weeks to do. With the exception of finding the hotel and getting the ring and Rose's wedding gift there had been little for him to do but keeping it from Rose had been a different matter.

He had seen Ellie go past from his seat in the bar, pretending not to have noticed, he was waiting for his special guest and surprise for Rose. He had let Jake in on his plan and he had agreed to come down and be his best man, Rose was indeed going to be surprised. Jake was cutting it a bit fine, just under two hours to go as Ellie had walked past. He wondered what Rose had been talking about to her mother hoping she hadn't really found out.

Ninety minutes to go and he really could have done with some moral support now, wishing Jake would arrive. Jake was Rose's best friend and protector and he didn't want him missing out. He owed his life to Jake and could never hope to repay him. If it hadn't been for him, he could have ended up in hospital or worse. It was the least he could do inviting him to the wedding.

Just as he thought Jake wasn't going to make it, he looked up from the paper he wasn't really reading just as Jake was stood looking for him and waved him over. Jake stopped to get a coffee for himself and a much needed refill for Alec.

"Thanks for this Jake," Alec said. "I know this will mean everything to Rose and I never really got to thank you for last Sunday. Was Mickey taken care of?"

"You didn't think I would miss my best friend's wedding did you? Especially after last week's disaster. I want to make it up to her as much as you and Pete do and since he can't be here, I could hardly miss it. Just how did you talk Pete into this and also persuade Rose to go through with it today? No, don't answer the last bit, I don't want to know the gory details but did it anything to do with a shower?" he smiled. "Mickey is ok and we've got one of our best female agents on it who reports that he is showing an interest in her so maybe he will settle this time. If he gets a girlfriend he won't have time to dwell on things."

Alec smiled himself at the last bit and kicked himself for not thinking about it when he asked her or if she had taken more persuading. "No, it didn't involve a shower though that would have been my second choice," he laughed. "Pete was only too pleased to help, he felt responsible for Mickey and he promised to keep Jackie from scratching my eyes out for not telling her. We're having a big reception when we get back from our honeymoon."

"Yes, Pete told me, I'm in charge of the security. I've also been asked to take care of Ellie and the boys getting there and putting them up for the weekend." Jake looked at the clock above the bar, then at Alec who didn't appear to be in the least bit nervous or at least wasn't showing it.

Alec was getting nervous, not that Rose wouldn't come out of her room and refuse to go ahead with it, no, he was nervous he wouldn't live up to her expectations. He didn't exactly hold the track record at marriage and although he had won the heart of one Miss Rose Tyler, keeping her happy was his number one mission, a mission he hoped he would be able to carry out. Hell, he put away dangerous criminals for a living, what was keeping Rose happy compared with that?

Jake nudged him and reminded him what time it was. Sixty minutes to go. Alec sent the 200th text to Ellie asking about Rose to which he got a reply saying he was being paranoid and to stop it before she came down and gave him a slap. He was assured Rose was absolutely fine. Alec excused himself and walked the short distance to the men's room. He'd had too much coffee. He never used to like coffee until he met Rose. It had been the way she made it, frothing up the milk, she made it look so sexy. When he came back Jake offered him another drink but he refused. He got up again and went to the reception asking if their wedding was running to time as one party had just gone in. He was told everything was running smoothly and they would be called ten minutes before the ceremony and told him also that someone had gone to check on the bride to be and taken her wedding bouquet which was part of the wedding package that Mr Tyler, the bride's father had ordered for her.

Alec then took to pacing the lobby area much to the dismay of the reception staff who just looked at him. Realising, he went back to the bar area then disappeared into the men's room again. It was starting to get to him. He hated waiting, he just liked to get on with things. When he had something to do, he was fine but playing the waiting game was not one of his specialities and he was loosing 1-0 at this one. Forty minutes to go. He was really showing it now. People in the bar spotted him a mile off as being a nervous groom. Jake just kept his distance and didn't want to get in Alec's bad books for the sake of Rose and didn't fancy having to explain to her why Alec was sporting a black eye because it was taking everything he had not to grab him and sit him down, or tie him down if need be.

A million things were going through Alec's mind, the topmost being Rose. Would he make her happy? How many kids did she want? Did she actually want any kids as they had never discussed it. Would she go running back to her mum if they had a row? No, that had been his first wife, Rose wouldn't do that, would she? Was she happy? "Stop it you ass" he said to himself. "It's your job to see she's happy, tell her how many kids you want and not to start a row with her and if she wasn't happy then she wouldn't be marry you would she?"

Relief came in the form of Ellie. He hardly recognised her all dressed up. He'd only seen her dressed up last Sunday for the so called 'Engagement' party. "Is Rose ok? She's not getting cold feet is she? She's not crying is she? Does she know she has to be down here ten minutes before? Tell me she's ok Miller," he frantically said.

"Will you just calm down Alec, Rose is fine. She looks beautiful and she's just as nervous as you. She's pacing up and down now. She'll be ok by the time she comes down, now just sit down or you'll end up in hospital again from exhaustion and that's all she needs. Yes, she knows what time she has to be down. I'm going to bring her down now." Ellie nodded to Jake who just rolled his eyes and said "Tell me about it" and she left. Alec gave him a stern look.

As Ellie disappeared into the lift, Alec felt slightly better knowing there was only about twenty minutes to go, ten minutes for Ellie to get back to Rose and bring her back down. It was a simple enough task, he thought, just go upstairs and bring her down, easy. What could go wrong?

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

Ellie had left a now frantic Rose alone in her room. A nagging feeling was coming over her fast. She was pacing the room thinking at this rate, Alec would have to pay the hotel for a new carpet. She hoped he was ok and not feeling the same as she was. Even her butterflies had butterflies and were doing cartwheels in her tummy. She was fast becoming a nervous wreck. Rose Tyler had defended two universes from deadly foes, fought off Daleks, Cybermen, the Slitheen and even absorbed the time vortex and destroyed the Emperor of the Daleks but this was something entirely different. She had even fobbed off her mother and not let on she was getting married today, an accomplishment in its own right so why was she nervous? Maybe because their engagement party had been such a disaster last weekend or the thought that she didn't really deserve Alec, she didn't know. The carpet walking was not helping her, she had to calm down. She had been fine earlier, rushing around and getting everything done and getting ready and talking to Ellie but then as Ellie left to check on her fiancé it suddenly caught up with her – she was getting married.

She had twenty minutes before she had to go down as she knew she had to be at the suite they were getting married in ten minutes before the actual ceremony. She looked at her phone. Should she relent and tell her mother? Perhaps not her best idea, should she ring Jake, he should know but he'd probably tell Pete, another bad idea. Fifteen minutes to go and Ellie was at the door telling her it was time to go downstairs. Rose just stood there, frozen to the spot. Ellie walked towards her.

"Come on Rose, time to go," she smiled. "Alec is going nuts down there, he's only sent like 200 texts asking if you're ok and everyone in the bar is giving him funny looks, he's climbing the wall."

Rose managed a smile. He was feeling just as nervous as she was when all the hype had died down and it had finally hit them. Maybe they were being too hasty, maybe they should have waited. She had been so sure last night to agree to Alec's hastily drawn up plan which she was sure her dad had been a party to. It felt right somehow. Almost four months with Alec had been even better than she had ever imagined. He had made her forget her past life and start afresh and it had given him a fresh start too. As she stood there staring at Ellie who was looking a little more than concerned she realised it was now or never and walked through the door Ellie had left open for her before she really did get cold feet.

As Rose and Ellie went down in the lift, they never said a word. Ellie got out first and crossed over to where the ceremony was to take place and Alec came out of the bar area. The lift was out of sight of the bar area so he didn't see Rose sneak out and disappear around a corner and when Ellie realised Rose wasn't behind her she panicked and so did Alec, followed by an equally concerned Jake. Rose was observing from her new vantage point just by the side of the stairs, behind a large potted palm tree, trying to wipe the tears that suddenly threatened to fall down her face. Stood there in her wedding dress, the bouquet her dad had sent for her in front of her in one hand and a tissue she had grabbed on the way out of her room in the other.

Alec grilled a puzzled Ellie. "You were supposed to bring her down, Ellie. Yes, that was definitely the plan, you go back upstairs and you bring her down. So where is she, we've got just over ten minutes so you had best go find her."

"Alec, I swear she was in the lift with me a minute ago. She can't be far. Did you see her get out? Did you Jake?'' Jake shook his head and looked around the now crowded reception area as people were coming out of the wedding ceremony room from the wedding before.

A man in a black suit came forward and called "Hardy and Tyler please," looking around.

Jake nudged Alec who spoke up and said "Here" still looking around frantically for his missing bride to be and holding up his hand.

The wedding Officiator saw Alec's raised hand and came towards him. "Are you Mr Hardy?" he quizzed Alec. "Where is the bride?"

Alec shrugged his shoulders in despair. She had called it off, she must have done. It was too soon and he'd practically sprung it on her after only being engaged for two weeks and it hadn't been enough time to adjust. Maybe she had gone back to the room to pack. His shattered heart was in his mouth, his Rosie had changed her mind. Maybe she was still upstairs but didn't want to get married right this minute. Maybe they could still live together without getting married and maybe he'd just scared her. He should go upstairs and see her right now.

The wedding Officiator was coughing politely into his hand and looking at Alec. Eight minutes to three, past the deadline for getting into the room and getting prepared. Alec was looking despondent, Jake was busy looking at the floor and Ellie was still scanning the reception area and suddenly spotted Rose who had left the relative safety of a tall potted palm tree she had been hiding behind as she had seen Alec frantically looking for her and saw how sad he looked.

"Rose," Ellie shouted as Alec and Jake looked in the same direction.


	3. Chapter 3

Rose had taken up her position behind the palm tree having at the last second seen it as she came out of the lift and made a run for it. It had been too much on the way down with Ellie in the lift. Sheer panic had rushed over her all of a sudden and she couldn't control it. Rose Tyler had been scared of nothing since she defeated the Daleks and now she was scared of getting married. "Get over it" her inner self was telling her but her inner self was in battle with her mind that was telling her "It's too much too soon, you should have waited" and she didn't know which part of her was actually winning.

She had seen the three of them looking around for her, seen Alec talking to Ellie and Jake frantically looking around for her. She was just out of their sight but she could see them clearly as they came out of the bar area. She had seen a man in a black suit come out of a room with a crowd of people and had seen Alec put up his hand and had seen the horror on his face as he realised he couldn't find her. She knew there must have been less than ten minutes left before she was supposed to go in and marry Alec, the love of her life, the man who had made her happy again when she had thought she never could be and didn't deserve to be. The man who had made her forget her past life and wanted to start a new life with her.

Rose knew he would immediately go back to their room to look for her and find out what had happened. Did he think she had gone back upstairs to pack and leave him without saying a word? Would he go back up to try to talk her into going through with it? It would be too late by the time he got up there anyway. Either way, he would cross over to the lift and see her behind the plant. So, at the last second her inner self won over her mind and she stepped forward from behind the palm tree.

Ellie had spotted her and shouted "Rose," as both Alec and Jake saw her.

Alec rushed past Ellie and immediately put his arms around her, holding her close as Rose held out her bouquet in one hand so it wouldn't be crushed. Ellie took it from her as Rose threw her arms around him.

Seven minute to the wedding. The Officiator was looking at his watch and tapped Alec on the shoulder. "Mr Hardy, if you are ready, you have just over five minutes," as he had clearly seen what had happened and the bride to be had been having second thoughts, something he saw all the time which usually had a happy ending and he usually allowed a grace period, hence the ten minutes.

She had clearly been crying and Alec got out his silk hankie and handed it to her. Rose wiped her tears, Alec still with one arm around her, the other holding her left arm then sliding his fingers into hers, led her across to the door for the ceremony. Ellie, still holding Rose's bouquet and Jake followed. They went inside, Rose and Alec sat at the front, still hand in hand, Ellie and Jake sat a few rows back with Ellie handing the bouquet to Rose as they sat down. Alec took the silk hankie from Rose and turned to face her, wiping away any remaining tears as he did then put it back in his top pocket. Rose squeezed his hand and smiled at him, forgetting everything that had transpired in the last twenty minutes or so, all fears now gone now she was holding Alec's hand.

The Officiator had gone to do his preparations and came back a few minutes later. It was now exactly three o'clock as Alec took out his pocket watch and opened it to check the time. The Officiator called Rose and Alec forward to stand in front of the Podium and began the wedding ceremony.

Finally, he got to the part where they exchanged rings. Jake came forward and handed Alec Rose's ring, a beautiful intricate design gold band that he'd chosen for her and placed it on her finger, taking her engagement ring off and replacing it back above the wedding ring, then took hold of her hand and kissed it as he said the words.

Rose indicated to Ellie to bring the ring she had chosen for Alec, a Celtic design indicating his Scottish heritage and placed it on his finger and said the words, reaching up to kiss his cheek as she did.

The Officiator pronounced them as husband and wife and before he had even got to the part 'You may kiss the bride,' they were kissing passionately. Ellie was in tears and Jake, who had been filming the ceremony on his phone felt a slight dampening on his cheek as they had to be pried apart by the Officiator with a loud "Hmm," as he was slightly taken aback at just how passionate they were seeing that the bride a short while ago had been hiding. They all stepped forward to sign the register and were told they could pick up the wedding certificate at reception after 6pm.

Jake was taking photos of the signing, Alec holding Rose's hand while she was signing and she did the same, both stopping for a moment to pose for the picture. They thanked the Officiator, especially for his patience in allowing them a few more minutes for Rose to recover and they went through the rear exit into the garden area to take more photos. They made their way back to the bar area and Jake went to order drinks but was told that a bottle of champagne would be brought to them with compliments of the hotel.

Ellie had left their wedding present in their room and Jake had told Alec he would give them his at the reception after their honeymoon. Alec brought a small gift wrapped box out of his inside jacket pocket and gave it to Rose. It was the necklace he had bought here, two silver hearts on a delicate silver chain and he placed it around her neck gently, kissing the back her neck as he did. Rose in her state of mind had left Alec's gift in their room and apologised and promised to make it up to him.

Ellie excused herself and went to get their present and Jake was pretending to mess with his phone as Alec asked her what had happened to make her go and hide like that? "Rosie, sweetheart, what happened? Ellie said you were in the lift with her then you just disappeared. What was wrong my sweet?''

"I don't know Alec. I was ok until Ellie went to check on you then when she came back I just froze. I was in a daze when we walked to the lift and when it opened I just ran. I don't know what came over me but I was watching you all looking for me and well…." She looked at Alec and touched his face. "I saw you looking for me with that sad look on your face and I knew I had to go to you. Once you took me in your arms and then held my hand I knew I was ok." She smiled at him as he got his hankie out again and wiped away a stray tear from her cheek.

"Your hankie will be soaking wet by now, Inspector," as she took it from him and put it back in his top pocket and seeing the pocket watch was there. "You brought that with you?

"I carry it around everywhere now Rose, it's like having a part of you with me all the time." He caught her hand as she was withdrawing it from his pocket and kissed the back of it gently.

Jake emerged from his phone, Ellie appeared with her present and the champagne arrived. The waiter opened the bottle and poured out four glasses and left the remainder in an ice bucket. Jake got up and proposed a toast to the extremely happy couple as they kissed and he and Ellie stood up. The waiter came back with a trolley of assorted dainty sandwiches and pastries as they all realised they hadn't eaten for some time and dinner wasn't until 7pm and Ellie was going home before then. Jake was staying the night courtesy of Pete.

Jake was showing them the video he had taken including the passionate kiss at the end and Rose went red in the face and Alec was trying to hide his. "Wait until Jackie sees that," Alec thought. "I might not live to see our first anniversary."

They all laughed, Ellie saying that had he'd better not put on the internet or Alec would be relocating with Rose to a remote Scottish Island, away from Jackie and the embarrassment at the station.

It was just on six when Ellie said she should be driving back to see to Fred because Olly would be tearing his hair out by now and since she still had Rose's room key went to get changed. Alec said to bring it back and say goodbye before she left, he'd bought a small present for her for looking after his Rose for him. Jake made some excuse to go to his room to get changed for dinner so when Ellie came back down they said goodbye and she promised to keep an eye of the shop for Rose and text them with anything urgent for when they got into a port of call. She was surprised to be handed with a present from Alec and a kiss on the cheek and a massive hug from Rose.

They still had about half an hour so they went up to their room, Alec picking up Rose and carrying her through the doorway. Rose told him he was supposed to do that later on but he said he couldn't wait and immediately as he was closing the door had his hand on her dress zip and had her dress on the floor in 30 seconds flat. They tumbled over their clothes on the way to the bed scattering them everywhere, not caring where they landed and Alec got to the bed first and pulled back the covers, pulling Rose around and letting her fall onto the bed. They were both silently hoping their room was reasonably sound proofed as Alec really let go and Rose really discovered what he was capable of, surprising her still to say the least even after nearly four months together.

When they had finally both landed back on earth, a stunned Rose, who had a massive smile on her face that she thought was never going to fade and the makings of yet another even larger mark on her neck spoke first. "Wow, Inspector, that was something else, it was out of this world."

Alec, who had only just recovered and had surprised himself he was capable of such passion just smiled at her with a kind of smile she had never seen on his face before. It was like his whole face lit up. They just lay there, both still out of breath. "Rosie, you are amazing. I never thought it could be like that. I've never felt like that before in my entire life. What have you done to me?" He reached down to kiss her again.

"Well Inspector, if you don't know, I can fill you in on the details later," she smiled back. "We'd better get dressed and go have dinner or we'll miss it."

"Rosie, my love, we can always send for room service," he replied as he started kissing her from the neck down.

Rose put her arms around his slim waist and said "Don't tempt me," and gently eased him off of her.

He reluctantly gave in and they got up and got dressed, thankful that dinner was from 7pm to 8pm and they would just make it. They wondered if Jake had been waiting for them or had given up, thinking that it could take them some time to come back downstairs. He was still sat at a table and greeted them. "Do you two want to be on your own? I could leave."

"No, please stay Jake, I wanted to thank you for coming down and being here. I didn't get chance earlier." Rose was just going to sit down and gave Jake a peck on the cheek and said "Thanks."

Alec shook Jake's hand and they sat down and placed their dinner order. Jake made his excuses as their dinner arrived and said he'd wait in the bar for them. As Jake waited for them, he sent a text to Pete telling him everything had gone smoothly apart from a little scare that Rose had disappeared for a few minutes but was just composing herself in the ladies room (he didn't want to worry him that they had lost her for the best part of five minutes) and that he had taken a video of the ceremony but thought Jackie might not approve of the end bit. Rose and Alec joined him in the bar.

"You two want to be seen with me then? Thought you'd want to be on your own."

"I just wanted to thank you again for coming down, I should have known you wouldn't miss it. I take it my dad knows then?" asked Rose.

"Your dad help me arrange all this Rose, I couldn't have done it without him but he's not told your mum yet. He's telling her on Monday when we're safely on the cruise though goodness knows how many missed calls you'll have by the time you can receive them and I wouldn't like to be in your dad's shoes when she finds out sweetheart," laughed Alec, still holding Rose's hand in case she disappeared on him again. He'd decided he wasn't going to let her out of his sight until they got back home and thought about putting a tracking device on her.

They finally said goodnight to Jake and said they'd meet him for breakfast. When they got back to their room, Alec was about to undress his new wife when he stopped. "Rosie, you're not going to disappear on me again are you sweetheart? Only I was in a right state when Ellie said you were in the lift with her then you were nowhere to be found 30 seconds later," he asked as he unzipped her dress.

Rose twisted free of him as her dress hit the floor and went to the dresser and picked up the gift she had bought him, held it out in her hand and said, "Forgot to give you this earlier, Inspector" and beckoned with her finger for him to come closer and grabbed him by his tie, pulling him over to the bed, planting a passionate kiss on him.

Their lips parted and they sat on the edge of the bed, Alec still fully clothed as he took the box from her and opened it. "Another watch, Rosie, are you trying to say I'm always late?" he joked.

"Not at all, Inspector, it's just you always wear the same wrist watch and I thought you should have a different one when we went out anywhere. That and it's more practical than a pocket watch," she continued as she took it out of his top pocket and opened it.

They were both still fascinated by the design which they still thought had something to do with it being Galifreyan. Rose closed the watch and put it back in his pocket then took his jacket off. She pushed him back onto the bed, took the gift box containing the watch and put it on the table and started undoing his shirt, one button at a time, playing in-between each button on his chest with her finger. Undoing the cuffs, she took off his shirt and sitting astride him continued to undress him and he finished undressing her and they both rolled over into the bed.

Neither of them remember turning out the light, they were too lost in each other to notice. They also didn't notice a faint glow coming from Alec's top inside pocket.


	4. Chapter 4

They woke early the following morning as Mr and Mrs Alec Hardy. Alec had collected their marriage certificate the previous evening so it was now official. While they were getting dressed, Alec hindering Rose as usual which was why they always got up before they actually needed to, Rose suddenly panicked. "Alec, did you book the cruise under both our names or just as Hardy? It's going to be awkward not having my passport and my bank cards changed since I didn't exactly have any warning."

Alec went to reach inside his jacket pocket and brought out two envelopes which Jake had delivered to him the previous afternoon. He held them out to her and said, "Just open them, Rosie. Everything has been taken care of."

Inside one was a passport complete with Rose's new name and the other contained two credit cards and a debit card with the name Mrs R Hardy on them. Pete had organised it all for her and changed her bank details and got her a new passport. One credit card was her business one for Torchwood and one personal. She just smiled and said, "Well I guess my dad did have a hand in this then, Inspector," as she pulled him into a kiss. "Alec, about this necklace you bought me, did you choose it because it symbolises the two of us together or does it have other meanings?"

Alec knew he'd been caught out so he admitted it. There was no keeping anything from his new wife. He'd been thinking things over the past few days and had come to some conclusions. "Rosie, yes, it symbolises the two of us and also the man who is responsible for you being here. If you hadn't come here to this world I would never have met you and I'd still be the lonely, grumpy Detective I used to be. You being here and meeting me was meant to be, there's no escaping it Rose, we were meant to be together sweetheart. Think about it, it's all there my love, you landing here the first time then coming back, your mother being with you when you came here and meeting Pete, it's all tied in. Then me coming here out of all the places in the UK I could have got sent to then being ill and going for the operation, it's more than coincidences Rosie, it's fate. Someone wanted all this and it's all falling into place and I don't know where it will lead us but we will find out together." He took her hand. "And don't forget, you're the one that keeps buying me timepieces," he added with a smile, putting on the gift she had bought him.

After saying goodbye to Jake, they collected their things and drove back home. They each packed their own suitcases to save time. Alec had realised that Rose's notice period on her house was almost up so had arranged with a local removal firm to collect her furniture and put it into storage, having taken all her personal belongings out. The keys had been left with the letting agents for them to be collected to clear the house. As they were going straight to London after returning from their honeymoon it had seemed the logical thing to do. Alec was to go back to work on the Monday morning after their return so they would drive back on Sunday afternoon and bring Ellie and the boys back as Jake would get them there. Rose wasn't looking forward to the fireworks that would erupt when they got there though.

All packed up with what they thought they'd need, they popped in to say goodbye to Ellie who would keep an eye on the house while they were away and left a key. Rose complained that Alec only had plain t-shirts so she said he had to get some more at the first port of call they made and not to be a stick-in-the-mud and get some colourful ones with slogans, to which Alec just pulled a face and went "Yuck."

They arrived at the port of Southampton in plenty of time and upon showing their confirmation at the entrance were directed to the VIP parking area which surprised the pair of them as Pete had arranged it for them but they had just expected normal treatment. "Another effort on his part to make it up to Rose," thought Alec. They had full VIP treatment and only had to get themselves and their personal belongings on board and were shown to a stateroom in first class.

Rose couldn't believe her step-dad had gone so far, they didn't usually make a fuss when going anywhere, they usually tried not to draw attention to themselves and if word got out to his superiors then Alec might get accused of accepting bribes but she was sure her dad could even sort that one out. She didn't think anyone other than Ellie at the station knew who she actually was. They probably suspected Alec was marrying her because he had to and she was some spoilt little rich girl. She insisted they go straight up on deck when their luggage arrived but Alec wanted to unpack. They split the difference and drew the curtains in the bedroom and went to bed instead, Rose giggling all the way.

The ship set sail on time with them having spent some of the time on deck before it sailed. Their first night at sea was spent having dinner in an elaborately decorated dining room then taking a seat on the upper decking with an open air bar just relaxing until about 9pm, then everyone came on deck for a party. Poor Alec got dragged onto the dance area despite his protests, Rose telling him to chill out. He wasn't sure he was going to be able to keep up with this new lively version of his new wife. It was well past midnight when the party finally wound down and they stumbled back to their stateroom after several colourful cocktails each and almost got the wrong deck until Rose remembered they were on 'E' deck not 'D' deck and they found their cabin.

Rose was giggling as quietly as she could so not to wake the other occupants on the deck as Alec struggled with the key coded card to their cabin by putting it in the wrong way and getting a red light until Rose, with just one eye open grabbed it from his hand, turned it around and whispered that she hoped he was going to be able to get things right when they got inside to which Alec whispered back that he was absolutely certain he wouldn't get that wrong as the door gave a green light and they fell inside almost on top of each other and not being able to keep their hands to themselves as clothing was shed at lightning speed all the way to the bed.

Alec was woken the following morning complete with a headache by a knock on the door announcing room service, which they weren't expecting. Trying not to wake his sleeping wife who had herself twisted round him and didn't know how she had managed it, slipped on his jeans and answered the door by just slightly opening it and asking the waiter to leave it outside and went back to pick up his discarded shirt from last night, not having remembered leaving it there and brought the trolley in and put in by the door. He supposed waiters were used to passengers keeping them standing by the door while they got out of bed in first class. He poured himself a much needed cup of coffee trying to get rid of the taste of the cocktails from last night. Just how many he'd had he couldn't remember then he spied all the clothes that were scattered everywhere and thought it must have been a few.

He looked at he breakfast trolley filled with a continental breakfast and thought he must cancel it and get a real breakfast instead for the remainder of the voyage or go down to the restaurant and get breakfast there, he'd ask Rose her preference then remembered she was still asleep and he could now have fun trying to wake her up. He didn't know his work was going to be cut out for him. Rose wasn't co-operating, she kept wafting him away telling him to leave her alone. "She must have been more drunk than me last night," he thought. He tried again and got a "Go away or I'll slap you," but he persisted by leaning over her and kissing into her neck then climbing on to her and working his way down.

 

Rose started to stir saying "Ow, my head," realised Alec was on top of her kissing her and grabbed hold of his head under his chin, raising it up and ruffling her fingers through his hair and saying, "Oh, good morning, Inspector," and proceeded to snog the life out of him. When they finally broke for air, he went to get her some coffee.

They had a wonderful 12 nights on board the cruise ship. Every night Rose would insist on going dancing somewhere and getting nearly drunk causing them to get off at the wrong floor at least three times and Rose thinking it was hilarious. Sometimes she would dare him to snog her outside their door which they actually started one night but got cold feet and didn't want getting thrown off at the next port. She even dared him one night to take her swimming at midnight in just their underwear but he declined and managed to keep her out of the pool by telling her they could go in the shower instead to which she readily agreed if she could towel dry him.

When they were at sea Rose would go to the spa while Alec went for a run around the deck and they'd meet for lunch or they would stroll round the tourist spots, hand in hand with Alec not letting her out of his sight for a second. They bought presents for everyone and Rose was pleased they had found both Spanish and Italian police cars for Tony.

They visited Monte Carlo and Rose fell in love with it saying she wanted to go back but was disappointed when Alec wouldn't let her into a casino. They went to Barcelona and Rose told Alec she never did get to visit the planet Barcelona and they had both laughed as she told him what the Doctor had said as he'd regenerated.

On their last night at sea, Alec finally persuaded Rose to just have a quiet night in one of the bars and stay sober and take a stroll in the moonlight on deck. They found a spot to sit down facing out to sea and Alec took her hand in his as their wedding rings touched and he kissed the back of her hand. "Rosie, you know how much I love you, sweetheart, there are things now we need to talk about. We need to start making long term plans."

They sat there the rest of the evening making their plans they both realised they wanted the same things. Rose said she wanted at least two kids, a girl and a boy and Alec said that was ok but maybe three and they wouldn't be bothered what they were. They decided to really start looking for a house now. Rose finally told him the reason for Jackie's call on their wedding day and Alec said it was typical of her. She told him about what she had been feeling on that day as Ellie left her alone in the room, about how sad he had looked when he realised she may have gone when he couldn't find her and how that made her decide to come out and go to him. Alec told her about his phone call to his dad and how he'd had no real family for so long but now he did.

Rose laughed when he told her he had nearly been climbing the walls waiting for her to come downstairs and he'd been surprised that Jake hadn't decked him or tied him up and how everyone had been staring at him. He also told her that Mickey had been relocated back to Leeds and had started seeing someone. Rose told him she wanted him to grow his beard back but he was firm that he was going to remain clean shaven to prove how much he loved her. She just told him she knew and he didn't have anything to prove.

As they spent the last few hours of the evening just sitting and holding hands in the moonlight looking out to sea, Alec occasionally checking Rose wasn't cold and putting his jacket tighter around her, kissing her cheek every so often, they both reflected on the events of the last few months they had been together and both of them agreed they regretted they had not met before. Alec also admitted to her that he wasn't going to tell her the reason why he had decided to shave off his beard that night but that she should know now it was because he knew he was meant to look like the Doctor in this world and that's how he wanted to be for her. They fell into bed, sober for the first time in eleven nights and spent a blissful night filled with undying passion.

The next morning they had arrive back at Southampton and made their way to London to face the music from Jackie and boy was Alec going to know about it.


	5. Chapter 5

They made it to London before lunch on the Friday morning, Tony was at school but had left instructions with his mother that he wanted Rose and Alec to pick him up so Pete had told the school and Tony had said it would be cool if Alec had a siren and flashing light on the car but if not, could he show his friends his I.D card?

As they pulled up outside the mansion, Alec seeing it for the first time, had looked at Rose and asked how could she leave a place like this and live in a two bedroomed house in Broadchurch? He had recognised the place as he'd seen it on the CCTV footage as the Cybermen had broken in on that fateful night when so many people had died including he knew, Pete's first wife and the President. That was when Harriet Jones had become President and Rose had told Alec how different she had been to the woman she had known.

Pete had stayed at home and came out with Jackie to greet them, trying his best to prise Jackie off Rose before she actually got out of the car but when she did, she turned her attention to Alec and he thought his number was up and he was a dead man. Instead she threw her arms around him and as Rose finally got out of the car, pulled them both together in a big hug. They all went inside and Jackie had lunch ready for them when they had brought their things in and had them taken up to Rose's old room. Alec was still waiting for Jackie to start on him, he thought it was the calm before the storm but Rose assured him she seemed ok with it and that somehow Pete had been able to convince her about it and had settled for the reception idea. Alec, however wasn't so sure.

Rose and Alec set off with Rose driving and Alec under strict instructions to leave her alone while she was driving to pick Tony up from school. She pulled into the car park and left Alec in the car and went to the door that Tony came out of, seeing some of the mothers she used to talk to and chatting with them. They spotted her rings and asked when that had happened and who her new husband was, did they know him and what did he do for a living? Rose pointed to Alec and waved and the women demanded to know how she had bagged herself such a prize as a husband.

Tony came flying out of the door nearly knocking down two other boys in the process and grabbed his big sister and held on to her for dear life. She kissed the top of his head and bent down to greet him.

"Where's Alec, did you come in a police car? Where is it? Has it got lights and a siren?'' asked Tony, firing questions at her.

"Whoa, how about saying hello first?"

"Sorry, hi, so where's the police car?''

Rose just laughed and said "Sorry, just my car, we've been on holiday and didn't get time to borrow one."

Tony looked disappointed then spotted Alec in her car and ran over towards him. Alec got out and the boy gave him a hug as he ruffled his hair.

"Alec, why don't you have a police car? Can you show my friends you're really a Policeman?" as he grabbed his arm and pulled him towards a group of boys kicking a football in the playground. The boys stopped and they seemed quite used to Tony babbling on at sixty miles an hour as he said, "This is my new big brother, Alec and he's a Policeman, show them your badge Alec, show them," as he pounced on Alec, nearly sending him flying.

Alec recovered sufficiently and got out his I.D as Tony's friends gathered round asking him questions. Rose thought it quite amusing to see her husband was very popular and the way he handled them. Alec was looking over to her for help so she came forward to rescue him. "Tony, how about we get home? We've got presents for you," she said, looking at Alec who was now surrounded by a large group of seven and eight year olds all wanting to know had he caught many bad guys. Alec was grateful for the rescue.

Tony reluctantly said goodbye to his friends, many of them just newly made and he was going to be very popular from then on and got into the car as Alec opened the door and put his seatbelt on for him as Tony was waving to his friends. He chatted all the way home and Alec was getting an earful as an amused Rose was driving them back. When they arrived back, Tony burst into the house, throwing his schoolbag across the floor and running to his mum telling her he was now the most popular boy in school because of Alec. He finally remembered something about presents and asked where they were. He was delighted with his two new police cars which kept him quiet for the rest of the day.

Rose had some explaining to do to her mum as she thought they had got away with it. Jackie was now clearly trying to hide her disappointment that they had not got married at home as the novelty of organising a big reception was wearing off as the day got nearer.

"Why couldn't you wait to get married here Rose? It's one thing you getting engaged and not having a proper party let alone having that turned into a disaster but to just go off and get married, why? Whose idea was it, I know your father had something to do with it" as Jackie turned on her husband. "Don't deny it Pete, they couldn't have arranged it so fast without some help from you."

Pete was looking at his step-daughter who in turn was looking at Alec who was trying his best to keep out of it as Jackie continued with her list of grudges.

It was Pete who stopped her in the end. "Jackie, it's up to them where and when they get married. Alec was trying to make it up to her for their disastrous engagement party. They didn't want all the fuss so they did it quietly. Jake was there and so was Ellie, they weren't on their own and they did agree for us to have the reception here for them."

Jackie crossed over to her daughter and pulled her into a hug then glared at Alec. "Well you could have waited, why such a hurry? Rose you're not pregnant are you?"

Rose stared at her mother in horror. "Mum, don't say that, no I'm not. Crikey, why do you always think the worse? We got married because we love each other and we didn't want it turning into a disaster again. We didn't want it publicized everywhere, we just want a quiet life."

"Well, you're just going to have to get use to being in the limelight because there will be a lot of people here tomorrow and the local press are bound to turn up. I've got a photographer coming in to cover it and I hope you brought the dress you got married in because I want some proper wedding photos and I've asked the local Vicar to come and give you a blessing. I want to see you get married properly so don't think you're getting away with it."

Everyone looked at her including Pete who clearly didn't know what she had been planning. Rose and Alec looked at each other, not expecting to have to get married in front of Jackie for fear they made an exhibition of themselves again, this time in front of a house full of guests. They'd been hoping that Jake had edited out that bit of the video or not shown it to Jackie.

"I've got a marquee coming in the morning and the caterers will be here at ten with extra staff to attend to the guests and the florists then the DJ will be setting up then the photographer will be taking pictures as the guests arrive." Jackie came out with a further list of things she had arranged.

Rose was wishing she'd never had agreed to it. The last really big party in that house had been fatal and they were tempting fate. Pete had never been able to bring himself to agree to a party in the actual house anymore, always insisting every event was low key and held in a marquee outside or in the garden, never revealing to his new wife the reason, just that he didn't want any damage doing which she had just accepted. Rose knew the reason why, she had been there on that fateful night as one of the staff and encountered a very hostile version of her mother which had taken her aback.

Alec was aware of what had happened that night and was clearly concerned that Rose wouldn't be able to handle herself. "Still," he thought to himself, "at least it's not in the actual house." He went over to put his arm reassuring around Rose's shoulder and kissed her cheek.

They excused themselves after dinner, having escaped an inquisitive Tony about where they had got the police cars from and had they seen any real ones and Rose took her husband into a quiet room where she usually went when she wanted to be alone. "Alec, are you alright with all this? I mean, I had no idea what she was planning, she's like a whirlwind when she gets going. I can get her to tone some of it down."

"No, it's fine, it will keep her happy and I'd rather stay on her good side for your sake Rosie, I don't want to get on her bad side." He sat beside her on the leather sofa and put his arm around her and pulled her close and whispered "I married you, not your mother," and pulled her into a long kiss.

When they were finally on their own in Rose's old room, Alec asked her if this was the room where she had heard the Doctor's voice calling her all those years ago that had lead her to Bad Wolf Bay. Rose nodded, a tear coming to her eye. Alec wiped it away with his hand as he kissed her tears.

"Rosie, that was one of the reasons I was determined to make you happy. I felt so sad that you had had your heart broken not once but twice and then I was an ass and made it three times. I can't even imagine what you felt that day on the beach when you were left standing there. Your dad told me exactly what happened, sweetheart, how you cried all the way back. I know you never wanted to tell me the whole story. You poured your heart to me Rosie and I threw it back at you by walking away from you because I couldn't handle it all and I'm really very sorry. Can you ever forgive me? I don't know what it was like for you living here all that time with it reminding you of him on that tragic night, it's no wonder you wanted to get away and then you go and find me and it sets you off again." He was holding her tightly by now, their lips so close.

Rose had listened to every word, her tears subsiding and their lips met, their kisses washing away any more tears Rose had. She smiled up at her husband. "Alec, it wasn't your fault. It's not your fault you looked like him and I didn't fall in love with you because of it. You're different in so many ways and I realised that quickly. I wanted you to know everything about my past life because I didn't want to keep any secrets from you."

"Rosie, do you really want me to grow back my beard? Do I constantly remind you of him? I don't want you to be uncomfortable," he asked as he crossed to the bed.

"It's up to you, I love you no matter what you decide, Inspector." Rose's face brightened up as she walked towards him.

Alec took off his jacket and decided it was his turn to get undressed in front of her then Rose responded in turn as they fell into bed, trying without succeeding to keep their noise down.


	6. Chapter 6

Alec woke first to the sound of a knock on the door. Tony was used to knocking before entering his sister's room and had been warned by his mother that when Rose came back, she would be with Alec so he might have to wait a bit longer. Alec put on his jeans and a t-shirt and opened the door slightly to see Tony with his arms crossed and making it apparent he was not used to waiting so long.

"Where's Rose? Can I come in? Are you having a party today? Mum says you're having a party but you've both had your birthdays."

Alec now thought Tony sounded just like his mum. He took Tony out into the hallway so they wouldn't wake Rose. He tried to explain to the excited boy. "Tony, it's a very special party. You know how your mum and dad live together because they are married? Well your sister and I are now married and we're having a party for it. Ellie, Tom and Fred will be coming to it too. So why don't you leave Rose to sleep a little bit longer so she won't be tired at the party, eh?"

The boy nodded and Alec patted him on the head and Tony went back to his room. Alec went back inside and seeing it was still only 7.30, debated whether it would be worth his while to wake Rose or if she would threaten to slap him again. It would be worth it if she slapped him in the right place. He undressed again and slid back into bed and worked his way gently on to his wife as she had rolled over onto her side while he had been gone. He tried his usual kissing her neck but got no response. Right, further actions were going to have to be taken so he got to work.

Rose woke with a start as she realised what was being done to her. She had heard Alec moving but had rolled over and gone back to sleep, reaching out but not finding him there. She vaguely recalled being kissed on the neck then a little further down but now! She couldn't believe what he was doing to her but she knew she liked it.

When they finally emerged, Alec said Tony had seemed excited about the party and the fact that Tom and Fred were coming to it. Two more willing victims of his police car chases stories. Rose volunteered to take Tony out and keep him from getting in the way but her mother had other plans. Rose had not packed the dress she got married in so the driver, who was picking up Ellie, was under instructions to retrieve the dress using the key they had left with Ellie and deliver it to Rose. In the meantime, a hairdresser and beautician had been called in, the very things Rose had been trying to avoid by not having her wedding at home and it was becoming a nightmare.

Alec thought he was going to get away with it but no, Jackie had plans for him too and so they both were parted for the rest of the day and Rose was put under guard of various persons who had come to get her ready. The party was to start at three so the garden was off limits for the marquee with caterers and florist to get everything ready. Tony still wanted his dad to take him to watch the local football match so that gave Pete the chance to escape. "Lucky him," Alec thought, jealously.

Ellie arrived with Rose's dress, much to Jackie's relief so the photos could be taken. Jake arrived and started organising things inside the house and put some men on the entrance to direct guests when they started arriving, keeping them out of the house as per Pete's instructions. Ellie escaped into Rose's room, leaving the boys with a now returned Tony and Pete and Rose was really glad to see her. Jackie wouldn't let Rose anywhere near her husband and she was fuming but no amount of pleading had got her anywhere. So Rose was now in the dress she had worn for her wedding two weeks ago but was minus her husband. She asked Ellie to go find him and make sure he was ok, saying this was exactly the reason why they had wanted a quiet wedding in the first place and that she had only agreed to have the reception and not another wedding. She'd not even had time to reply to messages sent by a frantic Alec.

Ellie went off in search of Alec who must be surely going crazy by now as he'd not seen his wife the best part of the day since breakfast and probably wishing they'd stayed in their room. She found him eventually in one of the sitting rooms. "Alec, Rose asked me to check you're ok, are you?"

"No, not really, this isn't what we agreed to, I've hardly seen Rose all day. Jackie seems determined to make up for not being invited to the wedding. We've just had a wonderful honeymoon and we come back to this, a full scale wedding ceremony. Ellie, she's even got a local Vicar coming in, the press, goodness knows how many guests, I mean, have you seen the size of that marquee outside? I can't cope with this Ellie, I need to see Rose and make sure she's ok. It was bad enough on our wedding day and now we're having to go through it again. Ellie, can you keep Jackie busy for just ten minutes so I can see her? Please?"

Ellie was feeling quite sorry for the pair of them after all the trouble they had gone to two weeks previously. "I think Rose will be on her own now, the hairdresser and the beautician had just left as I was leaving her room. She's just put on her dress. You've still got over an hour before the reception. I'll go and find Jackie and keep her occupied and I'll just ring you twice on your phone and that's the signal for the all clear. I take it you know which room she's in?"

"You're a life saver Ellie, I owe you big time," a grateful Alec said.

"Well, that depends on if I can find Jackie and how long I can detain her," laughed Ellie. "That's easier said than done."

So Ellie went off in search of Jackie, stopping in on a flustered Rose who was feeling just as bad as she had two weeks ago, telling her the plan. Rose said she'd be eternally grateful if Ellie could accomplish her mission and that she was going to text Alec now everyone had left.

Rose sent her message telling her that Ellie had let her in on the plan and apologizing for not replying earlier. She just got a message back saying hopefully he'd see her soon.

Ellie finally found Jackie in the marquee directing everyone but looked like she was about to leave. Just as Ellie spotted her, she pressed Alec's number, who on the first ring was out of the door in a flash and took the stairs three at a time and was at Rose's door in 30 seconds, knocking as he went in just in case anyone was there. Rose just ran over to him and flung her arms around him, pulling him close and kissing him.

When they let go, she couldn't apologise enough. "I'm so sorry about this, I know it's not what we wanted. I had no idea she was going to pull a stunt like this. It's her way of telling us she's annoyed about us sneaking off and she's not going to let us get away with it. Still, it's better than her slapping you, Inspector."

With that, she pulled Alec into a passionate kiss and somehow they managed not to end up on the bed. Alec got another call from Ellie to say Jackie had just left the marquee so after an all too brief final kiss, Alec did a quick exit back to the room he'd been given and hoping Jackie was not going to come up with anything else. He was thankful he bumped into Jake on his way back.

"Where have you been sneaking off to? Don't let Jackie catch you," Jake laughed. "Did you manage to see Rose?"

"Yes, Ellie went to delay Jackie so we could have ten minutes together. I've not see Rose since breakfast. We had no idea Jackie had gone so far. She's punishing us for sneaking off and getting married."

Just then, they heard Jackie downstairs and Alec headed for the safety of his room. He was glad they were only staying the weekend and they would be going home on Sunday.

The guests began to arrive and Pete went to find his step-daughter to escort her down. Jake was once again in the role of best man and had received a stern dressing down from Jackie for being a party to the first wedding. Photos were taken of Rose coming downstairs with Pete after he gave her the usual father-daughter speech in her room.

This time, Rose didn't have the chance to run away so Alec wasn't worried as much. The marquee flaps were open wide and everyone turned as the realised the bride had arrived. Most were aware a wedding had already taken place and this was just a second one but it didn't stop them from gasping and staring as Pete walked her down the aisle. Alec turned and saw his wife walking towards him and was still taken aback as to how beautiful she looked and now wishing they had just gone for the big wedding since it had been thrust on them anyway but he'd had two wonderful weeks away with Rose so it had been worth it. As she walked towards him and he held out his hand to her, he felt like the luckiest man alive to have married Rose twice.

The ceremony over and the happy couple, who had managed not to make quite as much an exhibition of themselves this time, went outside for photos and the guests followed so the place could be readied for the reception. Rose and Alec had survived their second wedding in two weeks and after saying goodnight to everyone and escaping Jackie, retreated to their bedroom.

"Well, Mrs Hardy, we seem to making a habit of this," Alec said as he was smiling. "Are you sure you can stand another wedding night Rosie?"

Rose just responded, "Well just you make sure you can keep up with me, Inspector," as she turned around for him to unzip her dress.

After they had celebrated their second wedding night, they fell asleep wondering if they were going to be able to escape any more of Jackie's plans for them. They went down the following morning to be greeted by a dining room full of activity as everyone seemed to have got up late. Ellie was trying to feed Fred who wanted one of Tony's police cars instead and as soon as Tony saw Alec he made a beeline for him. "Alec, can I come and stay with you when I'm on school holidays, please? Mum said to ask you." There were only two weeks to go until the school holidays and they were looking forward to some time on their own.

Alec looked at Rose who just shrugged her shoulders, knowing it would be Alec's final decision. "Well, Tony, we'd love to have you down but Rose and I are looking for a new house and I've got to go back to work." Tony looked disappointed so Alec finally had to relent. "Ok but just for week, ask Uncle Jake if he'll bring you down." The boy jumped on Alec and flung his arms around his neck. Alec was wondering what he was letting himself in for.

Everyone was ready for the journey back to Broadchurch and the wedding presents were being sent down although they didn't know what they were going to do with them all.


	7. Chapter 7

Having had a fairly quiet journey back to Broadchurch, Rose and Alec were glad to be finally home after being away for two weeks and Alec had to go back to work the following day. They agreed to step up their house hunting and so Rose was going to increase the budget they were going to stick to since her mother had said they weren't to pay it back. Alec had talked to Pete about it, insisting they pay something towards it but Pete said he'd wanted to do that in the first place but didn't think Alec would agree. Alec wasn't accustomed to having money. He'd had enough to live fairly comfortably when he was married before as there were two wages coming in and since his divorce there was only himself to worry about. He'd never been in a position to worry about if he could provide for Rose. He'd have to alter all his personnel details when he got back to work, naming Rose as his next of kin for all his official benefits that came with his rank and other things that needed details such as his medical records.

When he had first met Rose he had no idea who she was let alone that she came with money, a thing that she did her best to hide and was quite good at it. She never went mad with her money and he guessed that was because she'd had very little when growing up and had sense not to squander it. He still wasn't entirely happy with accepting Pete's offer and he'd only finally agreed because of Rose. Still, it broadened their search and it meant they might be able to move out of the town to one of the nearby villages and get Rose a house or a cottage by the sea. She had told him that when she first arrived she had wanted to be by the sea. Alec wondered if it was because that was where she had last seen the Doctor and she felt some comfort in it. It also slowly dawned on him that may have been the reason why she had taken so long to start to shower with him.

Alec got back to work the following morning and knew he was doomed. Word had somehow got round that he'd sneaked off and married his young girlfriend and speculation was now rife. It wasn't so much them being quiet when he came out of his office but the stares he got. Ellie thought it amusing and insisted she hadn't told them and that they'd just guessed with him suddenly taking two weeks leave at very short notice, something he'd never done except when he was on sick leave and since the officer on duty outside the station had seen the two of them the same day he started his leave they had put the two events together.

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After seeing off her husband, something now she was going to have to get used to at the front door and not the kitchen one, Rose had plenty to do. She checked in at the gallery and Clare was glad to see her, saying there had been no problems and that she had re-ordered as per Rose's instructions. Most of the other things she had to change her name on could be done online which she was grateful for. She made a trip to the estate agency and updated the details of her house searching, remembering to change her name and while browsing the houses for sale could now ask about a few she had seen previously which were out of their budget. She made up some lame story about how their budget had increased. She took a few leaflets of houses they may like to look at to show Alec. She had learned that not all houses for sale made it onto the website.

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Time soon rolled around for them to have Tony for a week, Alec now regretting that poor Rose was going to be the one to have to entertain him. She didn't even have Ellie's support as she had made arrangements for Tom to go to a summer camp and Fred was still at the private nursery since that didn't close for the school holidays. Jake was going to bring Tony down on the Monday and collect him on Sunday morning so Rose and Alec went for their usual run the day before Tony was coming down. Rose was going to ask a really big favour so she wanted to get him in a good mood so after their run started to work on him.

Rose asked him if he could arrange for Tony to have a ride in a real police car so he said he'd ask but wasn't promising anything and so not to tell Tony and that it would have to be on Saturday if he managed to arrange it.

Tony arrived and ran like a whirlwind around the house asking questions by the dozen. Rose tried to persuade Jake to stay but he had to decline saying he would be back on Sunday unless he was needed sooner. Tony wanted to see where Alec worked so she rang Alec and told him they would pick him up a six and they'd go get fish and chips over on the harbour. So Rose parked the car opposite the station and they walked across to wait for Alec coming out. Rose nodded to the officer on duty and was trying to get an excited Tony to keep still as he wanted to go talk to the Policeman and ask him about car chases.

Alec came out on time and they walked over to the harbour and sat down with their food, Alec wondering how Tony was managing to eat and talk at the same time. They took him into the amusement arcade and couldn't get him out. It was gone eight when they finally got home and then he wanted to go see Tom and Fred but was told to wait until the next day. They finally got him to bed, Alec having to tell him stories again while Rose was stood watching thinking how good Alec was with him and how he'd also been good with Fred the other Sunday and so she started to get broody.

After they were certain Tony had settled, they decided to go easy on the sofa in case he wandered downstairs. Rose asked how the car ride was going but he hadn't got it cleared. He could borrow a plain vehicle with the lights and sirens but not a squad car so he was working on it, hoping not to have to use the Tyler name, something he was trying to avoid. He had never mentioned Rose's name to anyone, only Ellie knew who she actually was and he wanted to keep it that way. He didn't want to draw any attention upon them. They also had to keep the noise very low when they got to bed in fear Tony would complain to his mother that they had kept him awake so Rose was sporting another mark on her neck the following day and now Alec had one but he could hide it under his collar.

More rumours surfaced the following day at the station and with Rose's arrival with Tony had sparked a few more. Alec decided to put and end to all this once and for all when he heard someone say that Tony must be his. Alec came out of his office and much to everyone's amazement made a stark announcement, something he'd not done since the Latimer murder case when he found someone had talked to the press.

"Right, you lot, I'm only going to say this once. If I hear any more of these stupid rumours that are going around about my private life, I'll have the lot of you back in uniform and walking the streets. Do I make myself clear?" He waited until the grunts had stopped. "Not that it's anyone's business but I got married two weeks ago and yes, I know that might come as a bit of a shock to some of you and the boy that was with my wife and I yesterday is my wife's younger brother." With that, he went back in his office slamming the door behind him. Everyone just carried on like it had gone in one ear and out of the other. Ellie followed him.

"What brought that on – Sir?" asked a bemused Ellie.

"I'm just putting the record straight once and for all. Not that they'll take any notice," he grumbled. "I mean it's none of their business anyway. What did they find to talk about before I came here?"

Ellie just shrugged her shoulders and went back to work.

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Rose had forgotten what a full time job it was keeping Tony amused and envied her mother for being able to keep up with him. It was like having a tornado going through the house. They went to the beach nearly every day and for long walks to tire him out. One day, they were walking down the coastal path when Rose became aware that someone was following them. She thought nothing of it at first as plenty of people were walking the other way. She spotted a bench up ahead and went towards it and sat Tony down saying she needed a rest. A man walked past them and Rose breathed a sigh of relief only to find the man sat down on the next bench, just staring out to sea. Tony was chatting ten to the dozen as usual, mainly about his favourite subject and Rose got out her phone wondering whether to worry Alec about being followed or not. She decided to text Ellie and see what she thought in view of the incident with Mickey and she had Tony to think about. The man on the next bench didn't look at them, he just sat there as if debating whether to move or not as he was sat on the edge of the bench.

Rose sent her message to Ellie and quickly got a reply saying to try to take a photo of the man and send it to her and to keep calm. Rose asked Tony to stand up so she could take pictures of him to send to his mum which he eagerly agreed to.

"Tony, why don't you come and sit on the top of the bench and give mum a wave, yeah?'' she asked as she got up. As she was getting up she got a good view of the man on the next bench and took a photo then carried on taking some of Tony.

Tony sat back on the bench again asking if he could see them. "You pick one to send to mum and we'll send it now," she said as she thumbed through the images she had just taken. The man was still there.

Tony chose one so Rose selected her mum's number and sent it. While she did that, she selected the one of the man and selected Ellie's number and sent it with a message saying that was the man following them.

She was horrified at Ellie's reply as she demanded to know exactly where they were and how far they had walked. Rose started panicking as Ellie had said the man was known to them and she was telling Alec right now. "Tony, can you guess how far we've walked" said Rose, trying to make it a game. "You can have a big ice-cream if you guess right."

Tony was very good with things like that, it helped him with his maths. "I think it's a mile and a bit," he chirped back with a grin.

"Right and what can you see around you then?"

Tony got up, stood on the bench and began to look around and spied some steps just past the next bench and said "I can see some caravans up there Rose. Do I get my ice-cream?"

Rose smiled at him and ruffled his hair. She sent a message to Ellie saying where she thought they were. Ellie replied saying to keep her phone on so they could track her and to ring if she was approached and Alec and she was ready to leave at Rose's call and had a motorcycle unit ready. Now she really was worried and wondered who the man was. Now he was glancing over at Rose and he suddenly got up and Rose moved up closer to Tony who had wanted to send more pictures to his mum. The man walked towards them and Rose silent called Ellie. The man stood in front of Rose and said, "Please don't be alarmed, I just want to give you a message."

Rose was alarmed but couldn't get up and Tony was looking at her. The man continued. "I have a message from a man called the Doctor and he says keep looking for him and don't give up. He says you'll find him one day and that he's closer than you think. He also said you had a pocket watch and to open it."

Rose just stared open mouthed as she couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could this man possibly know about the Doctor? She couldn't find her voice to reply as now Tony had climbed on her lap and was clinging to her. In the distance she could faintly hear a police siren coming towards them. The man heard the sound and turned around and headed for the steps and was gone. The motorcycle slowed down as the rider saw Rose and Tony sat on the bench and stopped just at the side of them. The officer took off his helmet and approached them.

"Mrs Hardy? Is everything alright? DI Hardy said someone was bothering you and your brother," the officer said as he looked around. It was Tony who spoke up.

"There was a man and he went up those steps. I like your bike, does it go really fast?" a helpful Tony said. Rose could see the beginnings of a new hobby for him.

Rose finally found her voice and said, "Yes, we're ok. The man just said something to us then went up the steps." She heard her phone was ringing now as Tony tugged at her arm.

The Officer went to the steps and when he got to the top came back down and said there was no sign of anyone. People walking past were now staring at what was going on, wondering if the woman was in trouble or in distress.

Rose answered her phone to a now frantic Alec who had been getting no reply from her as he and Ellie headed towards the path to go meet them. The officer said he would escort them back to the start of the coastal path were DI Hardy would be walking towards them.

"Rose are you alright? Is Tony alright?" said a frantic Alec. "What were you doing all that way out on your own. Do you know who that man was? Sweetheart," he continued.

"We're fine. An officer is with us now, he's escorting us back. The man was following us and he came over to speak to me then he ran up the steps and disappeared when he heard the siren. Alec, he knows something," Rose said, trying not to upset Tony who was fascinated now that the police motorcycle was following them slowly at a distance and he had a big grin on his face.

"What do you mean he knows something? Rose, that man is crazy, he's some sort of psychic who interfered with the Latimer case last year. We couldn't arrest him because parts of what he said turned out to be correct but we, I mean I, gave him several warnings. What did he have to say Rose?"

"I can't tell you on the phone but it's something really close to home Alec and I can't understand how he knows," she replied. "We're on our way back, where are you?"

"We're walking at the other end of the coastal path, I think I can see you in the distance and I can see the motorcycle following you. How's Tony taking all this?"

"I think he's got a new hobby," said Rose, trying to sound cheerful. She was far from it. How could anyone from this universe know about the Doctor? The only people who knew were part of Torchwood and anyone who had met him the first time they were here were dead or converted and didn't know who he was anyway and had maybe only seen him at the mansion.


	8. Chapter 8

Ellie had been horrified to get a text from Rose saying she thought someone was following them especially since the Mickey incident. She had sent a text back and having received a photo back from Rose immediately went to Alec's office, sending a text back to Rose to ring her if she was approached.

"Alec, I don't want to alarm you but Rose thinks she and Tony are being followed on the coastal path. I'm in contact with her by text and she sent me a photo," Ellie said as she showed him the photo Rose had sent and told him where Rose thought she was.

"Right, if she rings, get a motorcycle out to her and track her position. I don't want this crank anywhere near her. Start a trace on her mobile now, priority and if anyone questions it they'll answer to me," Alec quickly replied. He picked up his jacket and headed for the door. "I'm on my way out now, send her position to my phone. Why didn't she call me, Miller?" he turned and asked her as he walked out of the door.

"Because she probably thought it was nothing at first and didn't want you sending a full SWAT team with helicopters – Sir." Ellie replied as everyone was now looking at them. "Go back to work you lot and get that trace done to the mobile I gave you – now."

Alec waited downstairs for Ellie to catch up with him, he was going crazy. How could this crank know about Rose and what could he possibly want with her? He'd not seen or heard anything about Steve Connelly since the Latimer case and he didn't want to either. He'd wasted police and his time initially but it had turned out he'd been partially right but he hadn't forgiven him for mentioning the pendant or the fact he'd known that Alec had visited Broadchurch before as a child, something he'd never mentioned to Rose. He stopped. How could he have been so stupid not to have told Rose he had been here before? It had only just come back to him now that this man was back in the picture again. He'd have to tell her, it might be another link as to how the two of them were connected.

Ellie caught up and they walked quickly to where the coastal path started. Alec had been trying to call Rose but got no answer when suddenly he got through.

When Rose and Tony were within distance, Alec waved to them and quickened his pace. The last few yards and they were both almost running, eager to be reunited. Rose flung her arms around Alec and Ellie took hold of Tony and said she'd go get him an ice-cream and headed towards the café on the corner, leaving the two of them. Rose just clung to Alec and didn't want to let go. He waved at the motorcycle officer and led Rose to a bench by the sea wall, seeing Ellie was with Tony who was probably talking her ears off by now.

"What did he say to you Rose?"

"He said he had a message for me, from the Doctor. He said not to give up looking for him and that he's closer than I think and I'll find him one day and to look at the pocket watch. Alec, how can he possibly know about the Doctor? We were in London the first time we were here and no-one knows about him. I've only been on holiday here once since I've been here, that's why I wanted to come back. How can this man know about him? Even Ellie doesn't know. Why now? I've been here nearly five months now."

Alec just held on to her, asking himself the same question. Now was a good time to mention he'd been here before as well. "Rose, it never came up before because I'd forgotten but I've been here before too. When I was a boy about ten or eleven we came on holiday here. Rose, that man is called Steve Connelly and he was involved in the Latimer case last year and he knew I'd been here before and he knew about the Sandbrook case. Rose, maybe he's seen you with me and maybe now I've shaved off my beard he didn't recognise me but why he's targeting you I don't know. No-one knows about your past because you've got a block on it. Maybe this is all connected with us somehow but I don't want him talking to you again. I don't want him upsetting you. Now let's go find Tony and rescue poor Ellie. Goodness knows what he'll be like now he's been escorted by a police motorcycle. He was bad enough with police cars, I can't borrow one of those," he smiled, trying to cheer Rose up.

They headed off to join Ellie and Tony and Ellie went back to work with Alec saying he'd be back shortly. He walked them back to the car and said he'd see them at home and kissed Rose on the cheek and ruffled Tony's hair.

When Alec got back to the station, he got more than a few looks. The Superintendent wanted to see him. She was growing concerned about the number of times he had gone off to 'rescue' Rose.

"Alec, this is the second time you've gone off recently to deal with a personal problem. People are talking and both times have involved a police vehicle and now phone tracking has been involved. I know you've just got married but running off to deal with petty scares is hardly good policy," the Superintendent said. "Then there was that little incident involving you and nearly getting knocked over by a car," she added with a smile, recalling the report she had read about it which had amused her.

"You don't know the circumstances. The first time, my wife, then my partner, was being harassed at home and now, someone who was involved in the Latimer case is bothering her. He was a crank who was trying to cash in on the case and he was causing an obstruction and now he's approached my wife with unfounded so called 'messages' he claims to have been told to pass on to her, so how can I not get involved? She didn't call me, she only asked advice from DS Miller and it escalated from there. She was very upset about it in view of the first incident." Alec replied in his defence.

"I'll let it go this time Alec, in view you've just got married. I still can't figure out though how you got that two weeks leave so quickly. It normally takes longer but when I put in for it on your behalf, it came back cleared within a few hours. Someone must like you or you have friends in high places."

Alec knew the exact reason why it had been granted but he wasn't letting on. "Well, I haven't taken any leave in a few years except for sick leave so it probably didn't take that much to get approved. Is there anything else, ma'am?" he asked.

With that he left her office and went back to work, stopping in the break room and calling Rose. Ellie went over to him and asked if he was ok.

When he got home, an excited Tony was going on about the incident and then asked if he could go play with Tom and Fred but Rose said it was a bit late. After dinner when they'd got Tony to bed, Alec insisted she went over the message again. He sat her down on the sofa, fending of her usual advances.

"That's all he said, how could he have got a message unless the Doctor really did somehow manage to contact him, I don't know, maybe the same as he did you? I don't mean in a dream but to direct it to his mind but I still don't know how he knew to give it to me. Unless he's seen my shop with the name above it or he saw the newspaper article about our engagement. There were two pictures of us, Alec and you looked like the Doctor in them. Oh my….." Rose stopped, looking horrified. "Alec, my name was in the paper. What if he really did have some kind of contact with the Doctor and he'd said my name and this bloke then saw the two of us together in the photo and thinks that you are him?"

"Rose I don't think that's possible. Why would the Doctor choose him eh? You said he could contact you when you first arrived here, that he guided you to Bad Wolf Bay. Don't you think if he was able to get messages through he'd send them to you or me? He must have planted those dreams into my mind so why not contact me again? Rose, the man's just a crank and I don't know how he's doing this but I will put a stop to it. Maybe you should have Jake drive down here in case he contacts you again? I'd feel better if you weren't on your own with Tony."

"I can't ring Jake every time I get a scare. It was bad enough with Mickey. I don't think he'll bother me again. Telling me not to stop looking is one thing but how did he know about the watch? No-one knows I bought you it." Rose stopped. Someone might have seen her give Alec the watch when they were out that night, there were a lot of people there. "I gave you the watch on your birthday, Alec, the restaurant was busy, anyone could have seen it. More and more has been happening since I gave you the watch. I'm beginning to wonder if that watch was placed in that shop deliberately so I would find it. Maybe we should look at it again more closely."

"I know but I decided to shave of my beard before you gave me it, Rosie, I just sat there thinking about it and I reached two important decisions, one was to shave it off and the other was to ask you to marry me. I never expected you would even consider it, I just wanted you to wear the ring on your other hand until the time was right, it was just a symbol that I was ready and would wait for you. Especially after that week apart. I walked away from you and I wanted to show you how wrong I was to do it and to tell you I'd never do it again, that when I'd had time to think about it the more sure I was we were meant to be together. I was going to wait to ask you but when you gave me the watch, it seemed right. I never thought you would want to wear it right away, I thought you'd want to think about it."

Rose moved and sat on his knee, drawing him close. "When you asked me, I didn't need to think about it. That week away from you taught me I couldn't bear to be without you. My life was empty again. It was like I was alone just when I thought I could be really happy after all this time. It's not that I thought you wouldn't wait, I didn't want to wait." She kissed him and settled back against the cushion, stroking the side of his face. "Maybe it's time to grow your beard back, Inspector," as she kissed him again.

When they got upstairs, Alec got out his pocket watch, he didn't take it work with him although he thought he might start. He opened it and looked at the design again and at the front of it. The design still had no meaning to him. He sat down on the bed with Rose and as they both touched it, a bright light came from it. They both stared at the watch as a brilliant light swirled around them, then was gone in a few seconds.

"Whoa, what was that?" a stunned Rose said, leaving the watch in Alec's hand. "It's never done that before."

"Maybe that's because we have never both opened it at the same time before. We've only touched it when it's been closed and you passed it to me when it got stuck that time but you let go of it. Maybe you should take hold of again with me and see what happens."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, maybe that's why we saw the light. Maybe you have to be on your own when you open it? The Doctor never mentioned anything about a watch to me although, being a Timelord I know he messed with time but not when I was with him. When his people were still around, he said they used to be able to travel to parallel universes all the time so maybe it was left here by one of them, maybe even by him. If he'd visited here before we even landed here the first time he might not have realised, this one is almost identical to my own world, there are only slight differences. He never said how long ago his people were destroyed. It could have been just before I met him or thousands of years ago in our time."

"Rose, maybe it was him when he was here before or maybe he did come here again and left it so you could give it to me. I know that Connelly couldn't possibly know about him if the Doctor hadn't somehow got to him. He's been leaving messages for you, just like that Bad Wolf thing you told me about, when you were leaving yourself messages through time. Maybe this is his way of getting messages to you. Rose I don't want to know how much you paid for the watch but if it was expensive, it would have prevented others from being tempted to buy it and knowing you would become part of the Tyler family, he knew you'd be able to afford it."

"I've just remembered something about when I bought it, Alec. I went in the shop and asked to look at it and I have to practically put my finger on it, like the man in the shop didn't know it was there. Either that or it had been there that long. I don't know. Oh and something else. When we used to travel in the Tardis, people never knew it was there half the time, only kids could see it and those who were looking for it. It was called a perception filter. The Tardis had what was known as a chameleon circuit, it was supposed to blend in with its surroundings but it got stuck in the shape of a police box. I know you never had them here but they were popular during the 50's and 60's where I come from. If there was a perception filter on the watch, that means only I would have found it but how did he know to leave it in Broadchurch? This is just getting even weirder now. There are so many questions that remain unanswered. It's making my head spin just thinking about it."

"You might be right, Rosie but just how did he know to leave it here and that you would come here and meet me? Unless….."

"What? Unless what exactly? What is it?"

"Rosie, we've been looking at this all wrong. We've been assuming that the Doctor left all this in the past, right?"

"Well, I suppose so, yes. I can't think of any other way. The wall between the universes has been sealed. He said there was no way back." Rose stopped and it suddenly dawned on her what he was thinking. "Oh tell me you don't mean?"

"Rosie, it means he's here in this universe now or he arrives here in the future and somehow travels back, in the Tardis and leaves the watch because he's seen you with me. The watch must have been seeping things back in time to me when I was a boy, hence the dreams. Then when I met you, he went away again, seeing you had found someone who looked like him. Rose, I think he's been here very recently and you didn't know."

"Alec, I thought I would have known he was here. If he was, why didn't he contact me? That means if he's here or just left, he must have regenerated and didn't want me to see him, just to remember him as he was when I was with him. He always said he couldn't spend the rest of his life with me because he'd regenerate and he'd live on and he didn't want to see me get older. Alec, if he saw how much you resembled him and he got the two of us together then he wouldn't feel guilty about leaving me. It's all beginning to make sense. Open the watch again and see what it does. This time we know what to expect. He might have left us a message."

They sat there on the bed and held the watch together as Alec opened it.


	9. Chapter 9

As they sat holding the watch, Alec's hand over Rose's, the bright light returned, swirling around them, whispering softly "Rose, Rose."

"Doctor, I'm hear, I'm listening" Rose managed to say.

"Rose, I'm so sorry I lost you, with both my hearts, I'm truly sorry I never got to finish the words I wanted to say. Rose Tyler, I love you and I want you to happy and I know I left you on that beach wondering if I was going to say it. I couldn't admit the truth when you were with me because I knew I would change one day and I didn't want you to see me when I did because I was afraid you wouldn't still love me. You've found someone else, Alec Hardy and he looks just like me. I want you to be happy with him, Rose because I know he loves you the way I did and I know he'll take care of you and you can both now move on. Rose, you'll only hear this message now you've both opened the watch together and you're married. He's a good man and you both deserve to find happiness together. This is the only time I'll be able to communicate with you, the watch will become just a watch but I'll know you've opened it. I'm so sorry Rose, I will always remember you no matter how many times I regenerate, you will always be in my hearts. Alec, look after her and love her, I know I broke her heart when I left her that day but you can help her and yourself move on. I sent you those dreams and ideas so you would find her. She's clever and I knew she would be drawn to the sea and find you. Just both have a fantastic life and Rose, be magnificent and always remember me as I will you."

They both just sat there, stunned as they listened. It was the voice Rose remembered well, the voice that had called her to Bad Wolf Bay on the worst day of her life. Rose never knew if she was supposed to go there, he'd asked where the gap had come out but deep inside, she thought he already knew where it had come out. That somehow he'd chosen it and while he was waiting for her, he got the watch through and sent those dreams back in time to Alec whom he must have also known about and planted the idea about the sea to Rose. She had no idea how long he had been waiting there for her, it had taken them some time to get to Norway by car. She knew he could do the impossible and he did. He had also given his blessing to her and Alec's marriage and that meant everything to her. "Who's going to hold his hand now?" she thought.

The bright light disappeared in a swirl back inside the watch as they both looked at each other and Alec put his arms around her and held her tightly. Tears were running down Rose's face and he wiped them away with his hand and kissed her tears.

Alec was the first to speak. "Well I guess we know now. There's no more mystery, we were meant to be together. Rose, my love, I think there may be more to it though, the way we were instantly attracted to each other from the day we met. How he found me somehow and I ended up in Broadchurch. There are just some things we are never meant to know and that's fine, I think that's how he wanted it. I think he did more than just send me dreams, that part of his personality seeped through to me as well but they didn't manifest themselves properly until I met you. I was angry and bitter when I arrived here, just ask Ellie and as I told you, I wasn't going to have that surgery but something made me go through with it."

"Alec, when I first met him, before he regenerated, he was also angry and bitter and he said I'd made him better. Maybe he saw himself in you and knew you needed me to make you better too," said Rose, tears still on her cheeks and Alec still trying to brush them away. She pulled away and took his face in her hands and pulled him close then kissed him tenderly. "Let's both agree now to let this alone, we know all we need to know. We don't need to know any more. I promise you now, Alec Hardy, I will never mention him again. You are the man I married and I want you to grow back your beard because that's how I fell in love with you and I'd feel more comfortable if you did grow it back. I don't need you to look like him, it's all over now. We know the answers and we need to get on with our lives now. You don't have anything to prove to me."

"Rose, if it makes you happy, I'll grow back my beard, it's a good thing I kept my original I.D and never got round to changing my driving licence but I did it to please you, I wasn't trying to prove anything other than how much I love you. I'm sorry I kept coming out with all those things that kept reminding you of him. It must have been what he meant. I don't expect you to forget him, he brought us together and we should both remember him in small ways. All our wedding photos were taken without my beard so you'll be constantly reminded anyway and that's how I want it. I know you fell in love with me when I had the beard but you have to admit you couldn't leave me alone when I first shaved it of which was amazing."

"I still can't leave you alone, Inspector," came the reply as Rose pushed him back onto the bed and hovered above him, her legs either side of his. As her tears subsided, she slowly began to undo his shirt buttons, then opened it, running her hands along his chest. She undid his trousers and slowly pulled them down, leaving just his shorts after removing his shirt. Alec responded by unzipping her dress and pulling it over her head, leaving her in her lacy underwear. He pulled her down on top of him and unfastened her bra, removing it slowly then reached out and turned out the light as they climbed into bed.

"Ssh, keep the noise down, we don't want to wake Tony, Inspector!" as Rose sat astride him and pulled down his shorts, tossing them over the edge of the bed.

All their worries and doubts about them being together were now completely gone. It had been proved beyond the shadow of a doubt. Rose was lost in Alec's caress and trying to remain silent, bit into his neck as he did the same to her as he thrust deeper as Rose begged for more and he being more than willing to oblige. They were whispering each other's names as they climaxed together, trying so hard to keep as quiet as they could. They would have some explaining to do to Tony the following morning at this rate.

Friday soon arrived, Rose took Tony to meet Alec at lunchtime and they sat outside the café across from the Station. Rose had strict instructions not to go walking down the coastal path on her own again and to stay where there plenty of people. After lunch, she took Tony to the gallery to introduce him to Clare. She let Tony pick a card for his mum to take back with him and sat him in the kitchen to write it.

They had arranged for Tony to go have tea at Ellie's and stay until his bedtime which gave them a few hours together and they didn't waste a single moment of it once Alec got home. Rose had their dinner all ready so instead of having their usual sofa time, they were upstairs before Alec had chance to get his jacket off, leaving a trail of clothes behind them as he grabbed hold of her all the way to the bedroom, pulling her knickers down at the top of the stairs. There wasn't much to take off by the time they got there.

Over dinner, Alec, who by now was starting to grow his beard back, much to Ellie's dismay who had just got used to him without it and confused poor Tony, said "Rosie, you know we could start going upstairs every night when I get home if you want to?"

"Aw, it's more fun on the sofa, less room, I have you exactly where I want you, Inspector," Rose teased, as she rubbed his leg with her foot under the table.

After Alec went round to collect Tony, who was mid-way through telling Tom about the police motorcycle the other day, they told him he could choose where he wanted to go the following day. Alec had finally got the ok to take him on a short ride in a police car, he could borrow one for ten minutes providing no emergencies were happening. Tony of course said more than anything he wanted to visit the Police Station and have a ride in a car with the lights flashing. So they told him they would try and to wait and see.

After breakfast the next day, they got Tony ready and into the car, Alec driving and they pulled up outside the Police Station. Tony was jumping up and down in his seat. Rose got out and Alec let Tony out and they all went inside. The desk Sergeant had been told to expect them and Rose took a seat while Alec showed Tony around and took him to his office. As they were going upstairs, Alec beckoned Rose to go with them. When they arrived, the main office only had one or two people working and they went into Alec's office. They finally got Tony out and back downstairs so Rose stayed in reception and Alec took Tony to the garage. Tony's face lit up as one of the officers, who was waiting for them handed the keys to Alec and patted the boy on the head. He strapped Tony safely in the back and set off. He waited until they were away from the station, then going up the hill, put the flashing light on but wasn't allowed to put the siren on. Tony just sat in amazement on the entire journey, never saying a word as Alec checked on him in the mirror. They came back via the High Street and Alec drove back into the garage. Tony just sat there, not wanting to get out. The officer whose car it was held his hand out to help Tony out and he grabbed hold of it. He stood there looking at the two Police Officer's and just went "Wow, can we do that again?"

They both looked at each other and laughed as Alec handed back the keys and thanked the uniformed officer. He led an excited Tony back into the station and he ran to Rose and relayed every second of his ride. He turned to his big sister and said, "Alec's the best big brother ever, I wish I could stay with you," and he turned to give Alec a hug.

They left the station, thanking the desk Sergeant and Alec said he had another surprise for Tony and drove them down the coast a bit to the Fun Centre to spend the afternoon as Rose had packed their swimming things without Tony noticing. They had a light lunch then Alec took Tony to get changed and took him on the waterslides and wasn't doing too bad considering he used to dislike being on water. That was until he went on the cruise with Rose and she made him go in the pool every day and he discovered how enjoyable it was with her. Rose just relaxed by swimming and watching the two of them. She was getting broody again thinking how good he was with her young brother. She really felt so sorry for poor Alec not having any contact with his daughter and was going to encourage him to give it another try. She was plotting how to get around to the subject of starting their own family but perhaps it was a bit early for that yet but they could have fun debating it.

On the way back, they stopped for fish and chips by the harbour and told Tony that uncle Jake would coming in the morning to take him back home and Rose was going to pack most of his things when they got back. He seemed a bit upset but they told him that maybe they would come up and see him before his holidays were over for a long weekend. Rose went to pack his things while Alec took him to say goodbye to Tom and Ellie before getting Alec to tell him a bedtime story.

Rose was still wondering how to tell Alec she wanted to start thinking about having a family of their own but she needn't have been so anxious. Alec was just as keen as she was saying he didn't want to waste any time but they should wait until they found a house then Rose should have a check-up to make sure she was ok and then they would discuss it again. Rose just said it would give them more time to get used to being married anyway but that they should really get on with the house hunting once Tony had gone back home.

They went to bed with Alec just saying, "Well practice makes perfect," as he turned out the light, to which Rose's reply was just "Oh really, Inspector, like you need any practice."

Jake arrived after breakfast having left early to pick up Tony, everyone knew he was going to get an earful on the way back. To save any comeback, Alec took Jake aside and told him about the little scare they had the other day but said everything was sorted. He didn't tell him about the revelation with the watch though. They were sad to wave Tony goodbye and Ellie and the boys came out to wave him off. They were all going to miss him.


	10. Chapter 10

The house hunting was stepped up the following day after Tony had left, Rose was searching more internet sites and had expanded their search area to include nearby towns and villages with a thirty minute drive for Alec, who was going to ask for his own car or they would buy or lease another for him. Alec had said they'd better not get one too expensive or he'll get asked questions.

Rose was in the agents on the Friday when a new property was put on display and she immediate became interested in it. She took a photo of the house from the display and sent it to Alec who replied saying to book a viewing for it. She arranged with the agent to view the house the following morning and that they were very interested in it and to tell the vendor it would be a cash sale as they had no house to sell. Since no-one else had seen the advertisement, the agent said they had a good chance of acceptance if they liked it especially since there was no chain involved and they could complete in a short time as the owner was going abroad.

Rose took the leaflet home and showed it to Alec after she had pounced on him and snogged him half to death and they looked up the area on the map, getting a satellite view of the area. The house was in a village just down the coast and not far from where they had taken Tony swimming the weekend before and was only about a fifteen minute drive away. The house was just outside of the village and only a few minutes away from the coastal path. Rose was getting all excited, hoping it was as good as it looked and also hoping they wouldn't be disappointed.

She had rung Pete to warn him they may have found the perfect house and told him the price which he thought was cheap compared to London house prices and said it was a bargain. She sent him a photo and Jackie thought it would be ideal for them but why did they want a four bedroomed house? Rose just laughed and said she was making provisions for the future but it meant they could all come down and stay for a holiday until they started a family.

They went the following morning to meet the agent and Alec immediately told Rose he liked it and it would be perfect. He started taking pictures and began recording a video as soon as they entered the house. They were surprised to find a large conservatory at the back, almost a full room size added on to the sitting/dining room which opened onto the garden. They were even more surprised to find a second staircase leading to a large loft conversion making a large master bedroom with built in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom. It had all been newly decorated and carpeted, all they had to do was move in. They both fell in love with it and asked the agent if they could have a few minutes to talk.

"Alec, it's perfect, I love it and just down the road you can get down to the sea. Please say you like it," said Rose.

"It's just what we wanted Rose, it's a good thing you were there when it came on the market. Have you warned Pete about it? It might be a bit pricey though," Alec replied, holding her hands.

"He thought it was a bargain compared to London prices," laughed Rose. "Although mum did ask why a four bedroomed house?" as she flung her arms around him. "So do we make an offer then, Inspector? Do you think you'd like to live here?" as she kissed him on the cheek.

"Yes, let's go tell the agent then," he said as he removed her arms and took her hand and they went outside to join the agent who was grinning at the thought of such an easy sale and his large commission.

They put in their offer for the house and were told they would be notified within 10-14 days but maybe sooner providing the survey was carried out successfully. When they got back, Rose sent the video to her step-dad and mum and Jackie rang her back to say they were very impressed with the house and hoped they'd get it. Pete said to tell the agents that if their offer was accepted, he could transfer the money rather than them waiting for a cheque to clear.

They had gone on their usual Sunday morning run and lunch at Ellie's, showing her the video Alec had taken and she wished them luck with it although she would be sorry to lose them as neighbours. They had noticed that some people had been looking round at Rose's old house the day before and now Ellie was complaining she'd have to break in two lots of new neighbours. Rose said that Ellie and the boys could come and visit and that they'd start making Sunday lunch and the boys could go down to the beach but they'd have to explore the area first to see if there was actual access or it was just a path.

After lunch, they all got in Rose's car and drove down to see the house and to find out about beach access. They were pleasantly surprised to find that just around the corner that the road led down to a sandy beach so they all went to explore. Fred was trying to avoid tripping over in the sand so Alec had to pick him up and Rose was getting broody again. They also paid a visit to the beach cafe. Ellie loved the place and said they'd be really lucky if they got it. Rose had told her as far as they knew no-one else had put in an offer because she had been the only one to see the ad and since they put in an offer straight away and had no house to sell they were in with a really good chance.

They left and dropped off Ellie and the boys and decided to go into town and check out the estate agents window and make sure they hadn't put the ad for the house in the window and found they had but was marked 'Under Offer' so they were keeping their fingers crossed and hoping they wouldn't have long to wait. They didn't. Rose had just kissed Alec goodbye on Wednesday morning when she got a phone call from the agents asking them to call in as the survey came back and the seller was ready to accept their offer. Rose said they would be in at lunchtime and rang Alec to tell him the good news then rang Pete.

An excited Rose met Alec outside the agents and they went in hoping for good news. The survey and valuation had been approved and the seller was willing to accept their offer as they had agreed the asking price and the valuation had been the same as the asking price. They asked how long it would now take and were told they could complete as soon as contracts were exchanged so they arranged a date and informed the agent that the money could be transferred and also told him who it would be coming from as the house was a wedding present from her parents. The agent said a cheque would be better and was surprised to say the least to learn exactly who her father was though Rose corrected him that he was her step-dad.

Alec had now to go give notice on his house but it would take them a while to move in anyway and get Rose's furniture out of storage and get organised and they were hoping to get moved as soon as possible and would hand in the keys before the notice was up if needed. They had decided only to decorate when necessary in the bedrooms and there was nothing really to do. Alec said the seller must have really wanted a quick sale to have left the house in good order and had really been in luck when they made an offer so quickly. They hadn't needed to see it twice but asked if they could borrow the keys at the weekend to see where they wanted everything as Rose also wanted to furnish the conservatory.

They went out to celebrate that night, Rose getting slightly more drunk than Alec, who had to go to work the following morning, complaining it was alright for some to which Rose just pulled faces at him. When they got home by taxi, Rose was all over him as they locked the door and they hadn't even turned the light on before she had his jacket and shirt off and was halfway to unfastening his trousers. As they tumbled up the stairs, stopping on every other one to snog, they were about to become homeowners and could now start planning on having a real family.

The next two days were filled with Rose making plans, whether to change the curtains and blinds or to leave them, visiting furniture shops and garden centres for patio and conservatory furniture. Alec just let her get on with it, knowing just how good her mother was at organising and deciding it was better to stay out of her way. Friday lunchtime, Rose went to pick up the keys promising to return them on Monday so she planned to make an early start on Saturday making final decisions for the extra furniture.

Finally, the day came to sign for the house when the cheque had been successfully cashed and everyone was happy. Rose and Alec took possession of the keys to the house, Ellie got Olly to babysit and they went out to celebrate. All the arrangements were made to have Rose's and the new extra furniture delivered to the new house and put where Rose wanted it. The big moving day came for their remaining furniture to be moved, they had taken things bit by bit leaving only their valuables, clothes and electrical goods to go on the last load and in the car. After an exhausting day, they decided to leave the rest of the unpacking and went in search of food at the local pub. They had managed to get their bedroom sorted out and since the other rooms were already done all they had needed to do was leave the kitchen in some sort of order. They spent their first night in their new house just falling asleep in each others arms.

They now had a new route to run on the Sunday morning but had given it a miss in favour of getting things sorted. All was not well though when Alec, who had taken a few days off to finish the move got pulled in the Super's office on the Monday morning. He had given his new address to personnel and thought nothing more of it. Someone in personnel however was familiar with the area and thought it a bit expensive and had mentioned it to her supervisor who had in turn mentioned it to the Superintendent.

"Good morning, Alec," the Superintendent said as she gestured towards the chair opposite her desk. "I've heard you've moved house, I know you mentioned it a while ago but I didn't realise where you had moved to. Aren't the houses a bit pricey down there, especially for someone in the police force?"

"I don't know what's being implied here but I'm not entirely sure I like where this is going. Is there an enquiry into my being able to afford to move there? Am I under some kind of scrutiny? I don't see it's anyone's business where my wife and I choose to move."

"No, you're not under scrutiny but questions might be asked as to how you can afford the mortgage in a place like that. It's very exclusive, mainly successful business people and such like who don't need a mortgage. How were you able to get one? Then there's your requisition for a police vehicle to enable you not to have to be picked up and taken home. You've never bothered about that before."

"Well, to start, I didn't need a vehicle, it was easy to get picked up but I'm twenty minutes away now, it's out of the way. My wife dropped me off this morning and it looks like she'll have to come back for me. Then there are two of us working, you know my wife runs a picture gallery and over the last few years, I've been able to save. I haven't exactly been in a position to squander money living on my own and even when I met my wife, she had her own independence. Her step-father is a very well known London businessman," replied Alec in his defence, trying not to mention who his father-in-law was unless it was absolutely necessary. He was hoping he would get away with it but it was not to be.

"Alec, people will talk when they find out, no-one, not even I can afford to live there. You know what gossip is like around here and I know for a fact you had a go at the office staff for gossiping about you on more than one occasion. Your wife looks considerably younger than you and it sets tongues wagging."

"Who I marry is hardly the business of people who work in the office. Honestly, is there nothing to do around here other than judge who I marry and where I choose to live. Geez, is it a crime? Do I need the entire Police Station's permission to do anything? Eh?" Alec was getting really mad now. Who did these people think they were?

"Calm down Alec, I entirely agree with you but if it gets the attention of regional, it might not get swept under the carpet. I'll have to give them a reasonable explanation and I'm sure they'll accept the fact there are two of you and your father-in-law is a businessman but it doesn't explain how you'll be able to afford it if your wife stops working if you decide to have a family. Then there's the question of how you were able to complete so quickly, especially waiting for a mortgage to be offered. You should have anticipated all this when you were moving. It will raise some questions."

Alec was beginning to think that he'd maybe have to get Torchwood involved but he really didn't want to. He would have to let the Superintendent in on his little secret of who exactly his father-in-law was but without involving Torchwood if he had any hope of avoiding an inquest into his sudden affluent lifestyle. Maybe he should just say he won the lottery, they might actually believe that with a bit of help. He decided to come clean and hope Rose wouldn't go ballistic and torture him into submission later that night. "OK, I'll be honest with you, you were good enough to take me on last year when everyone else turned me down. Yes I know what happened. Anyway, my wife was called Rose Tyler and she's the step-daughter of Peter Tyler." Alec stopped to let it sink in.

"You mean THE Peter Tyler, the Vitex millionaire? Come on Alec, really?'' she laughed. "Are you pulling my leg?''

"Yes, I mean the head of Vitex, I can prove it you know. One phonecall is all it will take. The house is a wedding present. I was really hoping not to have to use his name, really I was but you've left me no choice. You remember a while ago I brought my wife's young brother into the station and I asked you if I could take him in a squad car? Well he's really her half-brother. Rose's mother married Peter Tyler eight years ago and he adopted Rose." That was all the information he was willing to give until he got permission from Pete to tell her more which he was really hoping he wouldn't. If it took a phonecall then so be it. Rose would just have to torture him but he'd not resist, he never did.

The Superintendent just looked at him. Did she believe him? No-one would come out with 'Peter Tyler is my father-in-law' if it wasn't true. "Well, I suppose I have to accept your story and tell headquarters if the subject comes up that I'm satisfied the house was purchased legitimately. I'll try to avoid the name-dropping though unless I have to. I can check your story but I won't – for now. I'll personally guarantee you won't have any trouble from personnel. As for the office staff, I know you're more than capable of handling them if they find out, which they won't from a certain personnel officer."

 

"Thank you and I'm sorry I got annoyed but I didn't want to drag my wife's family into this. We just want a nice quiet life together. Just for the record, she's only ten years younger than me so I'm not exactly baby snatching like it's been inferred. Is there any chance of a car? Otherwise I'm going to have to hire one then people really will talk."

"I suppose I can rustle one up for you, there are less deserving cases than you. They'll be one in the garage for you at the end of the day. Some of the other's already have their own cars which they'll have to start using during the day. Often they're not back by the time you leave. DS Miller seems to manage in her own car, so can someone else."

Alec left the office hoping it was all finished but he had a feeling it wasn't. True enough, a car had been made available to him but he wasn't going to win any popularity contests over it as someone had gone back to using their own car during the day. It was a nice SUV, similar to the one he'd seen the Torchwood agent driving but was glad it didn't actually look like a police car when he drove it home.

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Rose had an uneventful day, re-arranging things in the kitchen then driving up to Broadchurch to the supermarket, bumping into Paul Coates again who had heard they had got married and congratulated her as the last time he'd seen her she was upset about her and Alec breaking up. She also bumped in to the Latimer's and thought now the whole town would know they'd been married for nearly two months. She couldn't believe the time had gone so quickly.


	11. Chapter 11

Rose couldn't believe it when Alec arrived back home in a car, it would certainly help as she was going to suggest he take the car and she would get a bus when she needed to go to Broadchurch. Moving down the coast now meant they were nearer to other resorts and would be able to go out at the weekends. Rose wondered if this was the right time to bring up the small matter of starting a family and to address a few other things. He told her about what the Superintendent had said and Rose agreed that he should have told her about Pete paying for the house but she was annoyed because they had been trying to keep it all quiet but she didn't want him being the subject of an enquiry.

As they were going to bed, Rose stopped him as he was just about to finish undressing her. "Alec, we should talk about having a family now we've moved. I don't think I want to wait. We have the house, there's no excuse now, Inspector, what do you say that we make a start? I told you I get injections every month, well I can stop having them. What do you think?"

"Rosie, I think we should really get settled first, we've only been married a short while. We should enjoy ourselves first," he replied, trying to finish undressing her as she was trying to stop him, a first for her.

"Inspector, if I recall, you were the one who didn't want to leave it too late. OK. We'll give it a few more months, until say after the new year, then we definitely make a start. Agreed?" and she removed the hand that was stopping him unfastening her bra and let him finish the job he started.

Before Alec went to work the following morning, Rose told him there was something else she wanted to talk to him about when he got home. She had noticed lately he was coming out with all sorts of things the Doctor used to say and the way he did things and things he was starting to do and it worried her because she thought it had been the end of it when they had opened the watch. She had a busy day, changing all her documents again with her new address and wished she'd just left it the first time but she got some help with Torchwood to change the ones she couldn't do online. She also changed some of Alec's and was quite pleased she had accomplished most of them. She wondered just how she could approach the subject of him sounding more like the Doctor even now he'd grown back his beard and was going to keep it.

When he got home, she decided to get right to the point, something he did all the time and just came out with it.

"Alec, I know you're keeping the beard, which I love but I've noticed lately that the things you are saying and doing well – I think the Doctor's influence is still affecting you in a lot of ways. When I absorbed the time vortex, he said it would have killed me if he hadn't have removed it and it triggered the regeneration process. I made him regenerate into – well, you. I think he changed to look like someone who I would feel the same way about him as he did me only before, well, I only wanted him as a friend at first but he grew on me and when he changed my feelings towards him changed. Alec, the more I think about it now, well, what if he had the ability to choose his face and he'd seen you? I mean the other you in the other universe and when I came here, he did find a way to send that watch and leave us a message and he knew to look for you? Why else would he have chosen you and we found each other?"

"Do you really think so, Rosie? It seems a bit well – I thought we'd agreed to let it go? I can spend the rest of my life with you, he couldn't and he found a way to make it happen for you, just be glad he did. Rose, we have to leave this sweetheart. I know I'm bound to come out with things now and then, maybe things are still seeping through time and they'll keep on coming to me. We have to accept them and get on with our lives. Please Rose, let's just leave this for now?" He went to put his arms around her and pulled her into a long lingering kiss, letting her go slowly.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

They had been in their new house for nearly a month and had just got to sleep one night when they heard a big explosion and a flash outside and Alec scrambled out of bed pulling on his shorts and jeans and went to the window as Rose was putting on her dressing gown and she joined him at the window. The sky looked like it was on fire as they looked out and Alec's work phone rang. It was the officer on duty who said all available personnel were being called to Broadchurch as there had been an explosion down the coast at a big refinery and everyone was to report in. Alec looked horrified, the refinery was only about ten miles away and also he would then have to go to Broadchurch and be taken to where it was but protocol had to be followed and he may not even be sent there.

He told the Officer he would be there as soon as he could and turned to a now more worried Rose as he hurriedly put on his work clothes with Rose getting him out a clean shirt from the wardrobe.

"Rose, there's been an explosion, ten miles away at the refinery. I have to go report in to the station. Everyone has been called in. You have to stay here, the fire is spreading but more out to sea so we should be ok here. If anyone asks you what's going on, just say you don't know and switch on the news and get it from there, don't let anyone tell you anything and if someone calls saying they're from the station telling you anything about me, get their name and badge and call the station back before you let them tell you anything unless it's Ellie. Don't let anyone know I'm in the police either. I'll call you when I can, sweetheart and if I do get sent down there, I won't be able to but I'll call before I get there if I can or send you a message."

"Alec, you've got to promise me you'll be careful if you go. Will Ellie have to go with you? Who's going to look after the boys?"

"She'll probably call Olly in to get them to nursery and school. When I see her I'll find out. Maybe you could go up and help Olly with them?"

"Just tell her I'll do anything to help. Please, both be careful if you go, promise me Alec." Alec could see the panic in here eyes as he kissed her.

They both went downstairs and Rose got his car keys while he was getting his coat on. They could hear people out in the street and Rose looked out of the window to see them looking up at the sky and hoping they wouldn't ask questions when they saw her husband drive away. No-one in the village had thought to ask exactly what he did for a living and they planned keeping it that way.

Rose didn't stand at the door while Alec drove off. It was only about one in the morning and she hoped that the other residents were too busy looking into the sky and talking amongst themselves to see him drive away. She went back upstairs and tried to ring Ellie but got no reply. She got back into bed and laid where Alec had been sleeping, it was still warm from where he had just got up. She eventually went back to sleep but the last thing she thought about was Alec driving away. He'd never had to drive away like in the middle of the night ever since they had been together and she knew she would have to get used to it. She had promised Alec she wouldn't be the type of wife who would get in the way if he was called out or had to work late, that she would make him choose his work or her. She wasn't that type of person. She knew if he had to work late he was coming home to her and he knew full well that whatever time he'd get in, she would be waiting for him or he could wake her and make it more than worth his while. She had no worries on that count. Rose knew exactly how to keep her husband satisfied.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

Alec drove away managing not to attract anyone's attention and was soon at the station. Cars were parked everywhere but his space had been left for him, being of senior rank. There was commotion inside, phones were ringing off the hook, uniforms were darting all over the place trying to answer them. Alec made his way to his office to find out what was happening, Ellie had just arrived and followed him into his office.

"Rose has been trying to call me but I don't want to call her back if she's gone back to sleep, I was getting Olly to come over to stay with the boys."

"It's ok, she was probably ringing to see if you had someone to watch them. She's going to drive over first thing and see if she can help. She'll probably pick the boys up after school and nursery and take them back home if she gets the key off Olly. There's no point in taking them to our house, it's nearer the fire."

They'd had reports that flames could be seen up to twenty miles away. On the sea front you could see them quite clearly. Word soon came that all uniformed officers who could be spared were being taken to the area and that senior officers starting with the lower ranks would probably be sent as well to join neighbouring forces. The refinery was a huge one, spreading over a vast area and one that was just on the coast so a lot of the flames were being carried out to sea but if the wind turned it could carry them more inland and that would mean more fire fighters would have to be brought in and more police.

Ellie and Alec were overseeing most of the office staff that had been called in and were co-ordinating reports of personnel and where they were and Alec suddenly got a call to say things were not getting any better and firefighters were worried about it spreading inland and even up the coast. It was more worrying for him. The news was filled with the incident, warning people to stay indoors and keep windows fully closed within a five mile radius but Rose was only about ten miles away from it. He thought of ringing her but didn't want her to worry, just let her sleep.

5 o'clock and the call came for Ellie and Alec plus another DS to go join the countless number of others who had been sent down. Alec didn't exactly know what difference he and Ellie could make but it was ordered from way above them and there was no arguing. A driver was waiting to take them and Alec thought he would almost have to go past where his wife was. As they got nearer it was becoming apparent it was way more serious than first thought as the flames and the smoke could be seen rising higher. Now he was not only worried about Rose but all the residents where he lived as theirs was the largest village up the coast with only towns further down the coast and the wind was so far not blowing in that direction.

As they approached it was like a scene from a disaster movie. Alec and Ellie were taken to a tent that had been set up in a relatively safe area, if there was one. Relatives of workers that were missing were been given tea by a uniformed Policewoman who was glad to have some senior officers present even if she didn't know them. Alec sat himself at a makeshift desk and Ellie pulled up a chair and they began sifting through details the relatives had given on people who hadn't yet been accounted for. In the haste to get the fire under control, there had been a lack of information so people had been sent to the tent to await news and another Policewoman was going backwards and forwards as news came in if someone was found.

There was a small explosion nearby as the firefighters were now trying to start them in an attempt to control the extent of the fire. Fortunately, it was not an oil refinery or things could have been a lot worse. They were all beginning to feel the heat of the fire by now and no-one wanted to look out. They could hear shouting outside, the relatives looking more worried as no-one had received any news in hours and it was looking grim. People had been asking Ellie all kinds of questions and she was promising they would get answers as soon as they got them in. Alec was getting frantic for Rose, not daring to call her in case she got more worried.

Eight o'clock, Rose would be up by now, Alec was thinking and had probably already set off to help Olly with Ellie's boys and thought he should just let her get on with it, keep her mind off worrying about him for a while. It was for the best, he'd already sent her a text. He hoped she would stay up in Broadchurch instead of returning home, thinking she might just go to the gallery for the day. Another sound of an explosion came from nearby. A fire chief came rushing into the tent causing everyone to look around and Alec to look up as he told everyone to leave by the other exit behind where Alec was sitting. Everyone scrambled to their feet, knocking over chairs as they made their way to the other exit. An older woman was sat at the back and was having trouble standing, the fire chief had gone to the front of the tent to assist people out as fast as they could. Alec saw the woman and could see flames through the now closed flap and rushed over to help her as she didn't seem to know what was going on. He called out to her and tried to call over the fire chief but he was helping someone else and Ellie had already left, directing people to another area which someone had indicated to her where to send them where there was now a bus just pulling up.

The flames were now beginning to creep up the tent flap as Alec gently took the woman by the arm and told her she must go now and with her in front of him they were now both heading for the exit. The fire chief had turned around and took hold of the woman and ushered her out and the entrance to the tent was now alight and spreading to the roof. Alec was now closely behind the woman and just as he got through the flap the flames had almost engulfed it and he heard firemen shouting behind him as they were trying to put the fire out after they had been attending elsewhere at the opposite side to the tent and had just got to it. Their first priority had been getting people out.

Alec turned around to see water now being directed at the now engulfed tent and went to join Ellie as she was helping the older woman onto the bus.

"Crikey, Sir, that was a bit too close for comfort," she said to Alec. Then quietly so only he could hear she whispered, "Better not tell the wife about that one."

Alec just replied, "Well I won't tell her if you don't."

Alec was the last on the bus which took them to a single storey building at the other end of the site which was about half a mile away and had been hastily turned into a waiting area and Alec wondered why it had not been used originally and was going to ask someone why instead of placing the relatives a bit too close to where the fire was. He supposed though that placing relatives close to the scene would mean they would be reunited with any missing relatives faster and the building had probably been closed up for the night.

With the relatives away from the danger area, news started to come in that some workers had been taken to a nearby hospital and their names were read out and people began leaving. Alec was relieved that the older woman he had helped was amongst them. As she left, the Policewoman that was helping her brought her over to where Alec was now sitting and the woman thanked him for saving her and wanted to know his name so she commend him to whoever was in charge. He insisted it was nothing and was only doing his job and reluctantly gave her his name and where he was from. He was thinking that now Rose would really get to know and wondered how she was doing.

They managed to scrounge up some food for them and the remaining relatives and settled in for the morning, Alec not daring to ring his wife for fear of upsetting her but she would be upset more if he didn't. So he sent her a text telling her everything was ok and he'd be home as soon as he could.

Mid-day and their relief officers arrived from another force and were told a car was coming in about an hour to take them back to Broadchurch. Alec rang Rose with the good news who said that she was already there and would wait for him. He told her he'd leave his car at the station and get a ride home with her and collect his the following day. He'd been on duty for almost twelve hours and was in no state to drive and neither was Ellie. Then he thought that he could get the driver to drop him at home and asked if he could take a slight detour which he had to agree to seeing as Alec was his superior so he rang Rose back and told her to head home. Alec got dropped off by the village pub as he didn't want to be seen getting out of a marked car and waited inside, ordering some food and waited for Rose.

He was tired and hungry but he forget everything when she walked in the pub. Rose ordered some food and when they finished, they drove the short distance home, locked the door and went upstairs, Alec letting Rose help him get undressed and they fell into bed, Alec just having time to give Rose a passionate lingering kiss before he fell asleep leaning on her shoulder. Rose just let him lie there, running her fingers through his hair and put her free arm across his chest.


	12. Chapter 12

After Rose had woken again knowing Alec could be gone for hours, she got into her car and headed to Ellie's house. She had received a text from Alec but it didn't stop her from worrying about him but thought it best to keep busy. She arrived at Ellie's just after eight and Olly was relieved to see her. She helped him with Fred and said she would take him to nursery and he could drop Tom at school. She picked up Ellie's spare door key and told Olly that she'd pick up the boys if needed and bring them home to wait for their mum. She then went into town and got some breakfast, seeing all the police cars coming and going and knowing Alec wouldn't be there, decided to go to the gallery rather than go home. Clare was surprised to see her and remarked about the explosion and told Rose not to worry too much. That didn't help her to stop.

At mid-day she got a call from Alec to tell her to pick him up at the Station just after one but then got another saying he was getting dropped off in the village so she said goodbye to Clare and set off just before 1 o'clock having arranged to meet him at the pub. He looked shattered when she got there so she insisted he went to get some sleep but he said only if she was with him. She helped him get undressed and he fell asleep after kissing her. She just lay with him, content to have him back and completely unaware he had been a hero and had put himself in danger. She hoped Ellie would be able to cope picking up the boys but was sure Olly would help her. She and Alec were Ellie's best friends but Alec came first.

Alec finally woke at around 6 o'clock and after he showed Rose how glad he was to see her, he rang Ellie to make sure she was ok while Rose made some dinner. Alec told her how horrifying the scene was when they'd got there but he left the bit out about the tent catching fire but was certain she would get to know about it.

Rose had to take him to work the following morning as he'd left his car and when he got there he was relieved that the fire was now under control and they wouldn't be sent back. He did however get summoned to the Superintendent's office again, something that was becoming a habit and didn't look good. This time was more pleasant and he was getting praised instead of criticized.

"Have a seat, Alec and don't worry, it's not about out last conversation," the Super said. "No, it's come to our attention you were quite the hero yesterday, the woman you helped up and got out of that tent when it caught fire has told how you made sure everyone was out before you as the tent was engulfed in flames. She said you saved her life and that you made her go first without any hesitation even when the flames were above you. Alec, you're a hero whether you like it or not and it came to the attention of the Chief Constable. He's putting you in for a commendation. Have you told your wife of your heroics?"

"I didn't want to worry her, I was tired when I got back home and went straight to sleep. I never even thought about it. I told the woman I was just doing my job but she insisted that she got my name and where I was from. I don't expect anything in return."

"Well, apparently, it was the woman's grandson who was missing. His parents were abroad and he was only twenty years old and she was looking out for him. He was only an apprentice. He's in hospital from smoke inhalation but he'll be ok and he was dazed which was why she didn't get to know about him before. His father is the CEO of a big company in Weymouth. So if you think you're going to get out of it then think again." She got up and went round the desk to shake his hand as he got up.

It was going to take some explaining it to Rose, he'd never live it down. "Now we're in trouble," he thought as he left her office.

When he got back to his office, Ellie was waiting. Alec handed back her spare key that Rose had given him before he left.

"Tell Rose it's ok, she didn't have to get back to pick up Fred. Tell her I picked him up on the way home, much to the driver's dismay as I had to put the car seat in. I know she would have been anxious to see you. I'm surprised she's let you out today. What did the Super want?"

"Nothing, it was just about yesterday that's all," he replied, trying not to make a big deal out of it.

Ellie wasn't having any of it though. "Come on, it's got to be more than that. What about that woman you were helping out of the tent? I might have been busy telling people where they should go but I still saw it. If your wife finds out she'll go spare – Sir."

Alec just rested his arms behind his head and leaned back in his chair. "Well she won't because we're not going to tell her are we Miller?" he grinned and indicated that she was to leave. "If she finds out she'll ground me."

All hopes of Rose not finding out were dashed after the local newspaper picked up the report from the paper in Weymouth and the following day, the explosion had made front headlines and they had interviewed relatives of those in hospital and a certain woman had told what happened. Alec's office phone never stopped ringing as Olly and other members of the press were trying to get hold of him to get his side of the story but his name had already been published.

Rose had read the news headlines online in both surprise and shock and couldn't understand how he'd not told her. She had put her laptop on to catch up on some work and always read the local news first. Alec had already gone to work and she didn't like to ring him unless it was urgent so she sent him an text saying, "You've got some explaining to do when you get home, Inspector." When he got the message he knew he was doomed so he sent her a message back saying they'd go out for dinner to a place just outside the village and he'd tell her all about it when he got home. He hoped he'd get away with it. He didn't. Rose was hoping it wouldn't attract the media in London.

Alec agreed to call in at the Echo newspaper office and tell his side of the story on the provision they released it to other agencies after they printed it as he wasn't going to repeat it and no photos. They agreed so he hoped it would all pass and it would be over with. He wasn't so lucky with his wife when he got home.

Rose was waiting as usual when he got in, practically undressing him as he walked in the door and dragging him over to the sofa and they spent considerable time there until Rose reckoned she had tormented her husband enough because she knew he would be aware she'd found out and would be waiting for him to confess. She was saving the best for last. She got up and put her underwear on and climbed back on him and sat astride him as he pulled up his shorts.

"So, Inspector, have you got something you want to tell me about the other day?" she asked innocently, giving him a chance to come clean. "I know how to get information out of you and you know what that involves," she added, getting off him and standing at the side of him as she held his hands for him to get up. "Why didn't you just tell me? It's on the front page anyway."

Alec let Rose pull him up from the sofa and put his arms around her bare waist and pulled her close. He wasn't ready to let her go just yet. He loved it when Rose just stood there in her underwear, he found it very comfortable and relaxing that they could just talk and he could touch her as they did, letting his hands do their own thing. Rose was well practised now at talking when his hands were wandering all over her.

"Tell me what happened then, just how close did you cut it?"

"Well, not that close. The fire chief came in and told us all to get out the other end of the tent and this woman didn't seem to know what was going on and she had difficulty so I just went to help her up and helped her out of the tent. The flames were on the flap and she had difficulties walking but the fire chief came over to help her and led her outside and I was just behind them. The fire took hold fully just after we got out and firemen were just pouring water on it as they had been tackling a fire opposite. That's why the fire chief was in a hurry to get us out, it all happened within a few minutes. They weren't expecting it, it must have been caused by the wind changing again."

"The way I read it, the woman said there were flames above you as you made her go in front of you and you only just got out in time."

"It wasn't quite as dramatic as that, really," Alec insisted, trying to play it down and not to worry her, unsuccessfully.

"Well the papers say the woman said otherwise and commended you to the officer in charge and you've been recommended for a commendation. You call that nothing? Her grandson was involved and his father is an important businessman."

"Let's just leave it Rose, we were supposed to be going out so let's go get ready, I've made a booking for 8 o'clock."

They went off to dinner at a very exclusive country hotel and had an enjoyable evening. Rose wore a more conservative dress in view of where they were dining which was just as well considering the cliental. They had tried very hard not to stand out in the village and not make it obvious Alec was just a Police Detective but now his name was in the paper but he had refused to have his photo published but someone somewhere would dig out a picture from the Latimer case and publish it sooner or later. That may be the end of them remaining anonymous. Rose had never spoken to anyone about what her husband did and had only nodded an hello to neighbours.

When they got back, Rose was still unhappy about him trying to keep it from her although she supposed he was just trying to protect her, just like the Doctor had done. Rose thought to herself that getting someone out of a burning tent was just the kind of thing he would have done.

Sure enough, a few days later, the events of the refinery explosion had moved back a few pages but the story of Alec rescuing the woman had not. The woman wasn't going to let it rest, she has said she would like to meet him again and thank him personally and it was published he would be receiving a commendation from the Chief Constable and so Alec was to go to regional headquarters to receive it, taking Rose with him and a big spectacle was made of it as other officers including fire fighters were also receiving them.

Unfortunately for Alec, the news was picked up by the national press and so reporters were present and amongst them was a certain reporter that caused him a headache when she had been in Broadchurch reporting on the Latimer case and had ruined his already fragile reputation and had left the town without even an apology after he was cleared of a case she had previously reported on.

Alec accepted his commendation as part of the ceremony that was filled with all kinds of important people and those from the other rescue services. He went to sit back with Rose who was feeling so proud of him. She kissed him of the cheek when he got back to their table which was shared with other people and they also wanted to shake his hand. He whispered to Rose that her mother was so going to kill him for pulling a stunt like that. Rose just took his hand and tried to reassure him she'd be ok.

The ceremony was drawing to a close and they were just about to leave when his nemesis, Karen White sought him out and stood in front of him.

"Detective Inspector Hardy, we meet again although I never thought you of all people was one for accepting awards." She stared in awe as Alec slipped his hand into Rose's and Rose gave the woman a stare her mother would have been proud of as if to say "And who do you think you are, lady?"

Alec introduced his wife. "Miss White, this is my wife, Rose. Rose, this is Karen White who was the reporter I told you about. I didn't exactly think you would be bothered with a ceremony like this considering there are no reputations to tarnish," Alec remarked. Rose could see the claws coming out.

Rose could see it was going to be a cat fight so she intervened as only she could. "So, Miss White, you caused my husband a fair bit of grief the last time you met. From what I understand, you never even gave him an apology even when he was officially cleared and you just caused more damage. You never even checked the facts before you began hounding him again, you just started a vendetta against him. So, I'm surprised you've even got the nerve to speak to him now."

Karen White just looked gobsmacked as Rose was on the defensive against the woman who had dared to label her husband as the worst cop in Britain. It took her a while to find her voice. "Mrs Hardy, I didn't come here to start a fight. I left Broadchurch because I thought it was the best thing. I did read how he was cleared but if he'd said that at the time there wouldn't have been a story. Even so, that family was still let down, he was in charge of the case so it was still his responsibility but he did solve the Latimer case so he got some reprieve. I don't believe any apologies are needed, I was just doing my job, reporting the news. I'm not with the Herald any more, I got a better job after Broadchurch."

Rose saw her opportunity, much to the amusement of Alec who saw his wife was on a roll and decided to sit this one out as she was managing quite well on her own. "Well don't think you'll get away with this one and as for the other case, the DS in question was off duty so it was hardly his fault for what happened. If the case is ever re-opened then he'll be fully exonerated from any fault but if his superiors have cleared him then it's not up to the press is it? I bet you've gone to work for a paper that hardly ever has a reputation for getting things right, it will be just up your street."

Alec decided now was a good time to retreat and took Rose's hand and told her to leave it. "It's not worth it, really it isn't, let's go. Miss White, I trust you will report the truth this time and I sincerely hope we don't cross paths again." He turned to Rose and whispered, "Come on, we've got a nice comfy hotel room waiting for us," as he led her away.

When they got back to the hotel Rose asked him "You don't think she'll start digging again do you?"

"No, there's no-one to trash this time. That's unless the case does get re-opened. Why exactly did you say that Rosie? The case went dry, the evidence was lost. Even if it turned up again there's very little we could do now. Not unless the killer strikes again and besides, it's not my case now."


	13. Chapter 13

The two of them had settled down to married life as if they'd been married for a lot longer, Rose always greeted Alec in the same way as she had started since the day they started being together. Soon December was upon them, it wasn't getting really cold yet with them being on the south coast but they were starting to make plans to go to London for the holidays. Alec didn't think it was fair to Ellie to leave her on standby with her having to look after the boys but she said she would cope and for him to spend the first Christmas with Rose so they decided to spend two days with her family and then they would go somewhere on their own for the new year. To save time driving to London, they decided to go by train with Alec taking two extra days off. All their shopping was done so they set off and Jake picked them up from the railway station.

Tony excitedly greeted them, hoping to get another ride in a police car but was disappointed. They spent a typical family Christmas, Jackie didn't make too much fuss although she had heard about Alec's bravery and gave him a lecture about not making Rose a widow before their first anniversary. After Christmas dinner, they retreated to their room to give each other their presents in private, having opened extra ones with the family. Alec had said that it was the best Christmas he'd spent in a long time as he usually volunteered to work since his daughter got older and didn't want to see him.

He didn't know it but Rose had been busy while he was at work and had somehow managed to arrange a surprise for him. As she began to undress, she stopped and picked up his phone and held it up to him. She was thinking that it was just about the right time. "Alec, why don't you try ringing your daughter? It is Christmas day, even if you just leave a voicemail," as she held the phone out to him and did the little sway that always melted him.

He took the phone from her and said, "Sweetheart, it's going to be a waste of time, Daisy won't answer when she sees it's me, even today. She wouldn't talk to me last year. Anyway, if you keep on doing that swaying thing I won't be able to concentrate."

Rose went to stand at his side and leaned over his arm and was about to put her finger on the call list, spotting his daughter's number. "Go on, press the number then," and kissed his cheek.

Alec hesitated for a second then pressed the number, shaking his head, knowing he'd get no reply as usual. He was in for a big surprise when a girl's voice answered with "Hello Dad."

Alec took a few seconds to recover and looked at Rose who was beaming. She had quickly got his daughter's number out of his phone while he'd been otherwise occupied waiting for her to join him in the shower and had called her a few days previously and gently introduced herself and told her they had got married a few month's ago and how he'd told her all about her and was so sad that she wouldn't answer his calls. Rose had asked her if she had heard he'd been cleared of the case at Sandbrook and that he was getting on with his life and how they had met. She told the girl it would be the best present ever if she arranged for Alec to call her on Christmas day and if she would answer and talk to him even if it was only to say hello.

Alec was talking to his daughter and Rose sat on the edge of the bed in her dressing gown to save him getting distracted and she was feeling very pleased with herself. Her perfect present for her husband. The conversation lasted a while as he wanted to know everything that was going on with her. He looked at Rose who was smiling at him and covered the phone for a second telling his daughter to hang on a second and asked Rose if it was alright for her to come and visit for the new year. Rose was more than delighted to say yes as they had planned to go away but staying at home and having his daughter visit was a priority.

Rose told him she agreed and he said he'd ring her back when he'd made the arrangements and to make sure it was alright with her mother as she wasn't quite sixteen yet. He ended the call promising to ring her in a day or so and would pay for the train ticket down from Glasgow and Rose or both of them would pick her up from Exeter rather than her getting another train on the 30th depending on what time her train arrived.

His face was a picture as he put the phone down and sat down beside Rose and unfastened her dressing gown and laid her back on the bed revealing her satin underwear. "Rosie, I don't know how you managed that and I'm not even going to ask. However you persuaded her to answer I'm grateful and I can never pay you back for this. I suppose you went in my phone contacts to get her number then?'' Rose nodded and moved her hand to unfasten his shirt, pulling him towards her. "That would be the other morning when you kept me waiting for you in the shower?" Rose responded by unfastening his trousers.

"One more question, Inspector and I hit the jackpot," she smiled and pulled him on top of her. Alec went quiet and let her finish what she'd started.

They made their way back to Broadchurch and when they got back they sorted out train times from Glasgow and found one that got in at a reasonable time but Rose would have to go on her own so Alec sent his daughter a picture of Rose and told her she would meet her and Alec bought a return ticket online for her to pick up at Glasgow sending her the confirmation to her phone and if she had trouble getting the ticket to call him.

So Rose set off on the 30th and arrived at Exeter in plenty of time and parked up in the short stay car park nearby and walked to the station and checked the arrivals. She only had ten minutes to wait. It was going to be dark in an hour or so and she didn't want to get held up and wanted to be well on her way home as some of the roads had no lighting until they got nearly to Broadchurch. The announcement came over that the train from Glasgow was arriving and she made her way to the end of the platform as people started getting off. She had a photo on her phone so was watching out for the girl. She easily spotted her and waved and the girl checked her phone and waved back and was soon at Rose's side.

Rose introduced herself and took a shoulder bag from the girl and they walked to the car. She called Alec to say they had met up and were starting back and that would Alec bring some Chinese food back so they didn't have to wait to cook something and they were soon on their way chatting freely with Rose wanting to know all about Glasgow and what she was doing at school. They got most of the way before it started getting dark and the road was quiet. They arrived home and Rose got her settled in, showing her the house and their large bedroom and the conservatory. Rose found it easy to understand Daisy's accent although compared to her's, Alec's was getting slightly more English. Daisy said she loved the house, she'd never been in one that big. Rose was wondering what she would think of the Tyler mansion then.

Alec arrived home and Rose opened the door for him and took the food carrier leaving him free to hug his daughter. She didn't mind just this once that Daisy got to him before she did. He deserved it after all this time. Rose warmed the food up and they sat down to eat, all trying to talk at the same time and Alec beaming like a Cheshire cat. After dinner, they all sat down and they showed Daisy their wedding photos and she couldn't believe how he'd grown a beard, shaved it off and grown it back again and said he'd only grown it just before the last time she'd seen him. Daisy admitted that the news of his fire rescue had reached Glasgow and she'd seen it and that was part of the reason she had agreed with Rose to talk to him.

Daisy did wonder if it was ok to use Rose's name and not 'mum' to which Rose said she wasn't that old and she wasn't trying to take her mother's place, far from it. Alec remarked though that when they had their own family that Daisy may have to call her that in front of them and they all laughed. Daisy went off to her room as she was tired and Rose said after breakfast they would go into Broadchurch the following day and Daisy could choose a late Christmas present and she would show her the gallery. Alec had to go to work for a few hours but was then going on standby leaving instructions only to be called if a nuclear disaster was imminent on the south coast and would meet them for lunch.

Having forgone their time on the sofa, not wanting the teenager to stumble on them, they went to bed and Rose warned him to keep the noise down but he wasn't happy about it. "Rosie, we always seem to have to tone it down when were in a hotel or have visitors. People will just have to get used to the fact that we're a bit – well physical with each other. I'm sure other couples manage. Either that or you're going to have a neck full of marks," he said, as he watched her get undressed.

"Well, Inspector, you shouldn't be so physical should you?" she teased, knowing full well he could never keep from being otherwise and standing in front of him while she watched him getting undressed. "We'll just have to practise being quiet without biting each other so let's start tonight. It's only because things get so intense and I never want that to change, we'll just have to find a way around it."

Rose managed to sport only one neck mark and the following morning, she kissed Alec goodbye as usual and Daisy gave him a hug which put him in a good mood for the rest of the day. Rose took Daisy shopping, taking her to the gallery and giving her a small print to take back. Then they looked around some of the shops and went to meet Alec for lunch who arrived with Ellie as she had wanted to meet Daisy.

They then went to look around until they found something for Daisy and headed home with Daisy then helping Rose get dinner ready while Alec was sitting just watching the two of them together and thinking how well they seemed to be getting on. They had decided to spend the night in even though Daisy was old enough to go out, they didn't really know anybody in the village and no-one had bothered them despite Alec's photo being in the papers when he had got his commendation. Rose dug out some old board games and they all played, with Alec winning at 'Monopoly' and before they knew it, it was midnight. Alec followed the Scottish tradition of letting in the new year and kissed his wife and hugged his daughter and they all promised that this year, they would stay in touch with each other. Alec started the new year with not only his new wife but getting his daughter back and now had the start of a new family and planned with Rose to add to it.

Daisy was going back to Glasgow on the 3rd of January so they spent the next two days showing her around and visited nearby seaside towns although it was getting cold. Alec had to go back to work properly on the 2nd so Rose and Daisy went last minute shopping and they all had their last dinner together and then Rose drove Daisy back to Exeter to catch the train home the following morning, the teenager going back with more than she came with. Rose escorted her on to the train and made sure she had enough money to buy something to eat on the way back and to make sure she rang her mother to pick her up from the station. There was only a few minutes before the train departed and Daisy gave Rose a big hug goodbye telling her she had enjoyed her visits and could she come down again to which Rose agreed without hesitation. The girl got on the train and told Rose she was glad her dad had found someone and that it was her. They waved goodbye as the train left and Rose could feel tears in her eyes as the train faded from view.

Daisy had agreed to let Rose know when she got back and Rose rang Alec from the station café to say Daisy was on the train. She drove home quite pleased that the visit had gone so well and Daisy wanted to come back. Now Alec had a real chance of a family. When she got home, she sent Alec a text to say did he want to go out for dinner as she had something to tell him. He got home at the usual time and they had three days of making up to do in one hour which was something even for them. They just went to the local pub and Rose gave Alec the good news that Daisy had asked if she could come back. Alec was more than delighted especially as Rose had said yes without even asking him and how quickly they had taken to each other. He was half expecting hostility on Daisy's behalf but he thought that was because Rose had said from the start she wasn't trying to replace her mother it had put Daisy at ease.

When they got home they continued their three days of making up and Rose managed to tell Alec that she was not planning on waiting much longer to start a family and he agreed.

"I think now is a really good time to seriously start, it's the beginning of the new year and if we get really lucky, we could have a new addition by next Christmas," Rose managed to say before they fell asleep.

Alec just lay there with her, contented to let her decide when they should start a family. "I agree, sweetheart," he said as he made her more comfortable. "So no more injections then, agreed?"

Rose just kissed him in response and fell asleep, Alec knowing that it had meant yes.


	14. Chapter 14

The next couple of months were quite uneventful for Rose as she was spending less time at the gallery having got someone else in part-time over the lunch period. She'd discussed it with Pete, neither of them wanted to close the shop since it was doing well and was contributing to the town so they decided to leave it and cut down Torchwood's contribution towards running it, with Rose now being responsible for paying the bills so she hired the services of a local accounting firm who were pleased to take the business on and she left it to them. They had managed a quick visit to London for her mum's and Tony's birthdays which were within few days of each other. They also celebrated Rose's birthday with Alec taking her away for a long weekend in Torquay where they had got married.

The town had been quiet and Ellie and Alec were not exactly rushed off their feet so they were working their way through some unsolved cases, nothing much interested Alec except one in particular. Just before he had arrived in Broadchurch, there had been several reports of stolen jewellery from houses in the area and the perpetrators had not been found but the thefts had stopped. Nearly every one had involved a pendant and some had been recovered and returned but some were not claimed and in the evidence locker or still missing. His interest grew as he looked through photos but saw nothing of the necklace from his old case in Sandbrook which he had committed to memory quite clearly and would never forget but decided to have a trip downstairs and double check the real articles and also get photos of the items that were still missing or returned to their owners.

Having checked the evidence left at the station, Alec went back to looking at photos again, bringing up the photo of the missing evidence from his old case and comparing them carefully. The pendants in the evidence locker were nowhere near the one he was seeking. He waded through the jewellery still missing and found nothing and started on the ones returned. He couldn't believe his eyes as there in front of him was a photo of the missing pendant and it had been returned to a local resident who had reported his daughter's pendant had been stolen. He called Ellie in for a second opinion but he really didn't need one so he took it to the Superintendent who approved them visiting the family who it had been returned to and ask them where the pendant had come from.

They went to visit the family and asked to see the pendent and asked where the girl's father had got it. Alec was told they had bought it on a visit to Edinburgh from a outdoor market Christmas before last. Alec put on gloves and asked if they could take the pendant for testing as there was a strong possibility it was evidence in another case from the Glasgow area. The father agreed and Alec and Ellie returned to the station to send it for testing. Alec couldn't believe this might actually solve his outstanding case but had to wait for the results coming back and the reports to be put together as they had told the lab what they were looking for. They would have to wait a few days while the testing was done and details of the case sent down from Glasgow.

Alec was really excited to tell Rose about it and they were both keeping their fingers crossed and Rose had some news of her own she was keeping to herself for the time being. It was coming up the anniversary of when she had first moved to Broadchurch in a few days and was the last day of February so she asked Alec how they should celebrate their first meeting the day she was preparing the shop for opening. Alec said they should wait until the day of their first date and go the same restaurant. What she didn't tell Alec was she suspected she might be pregnant but didn't want to get either of their hopes up and just wait until she was certain as it could be a false alarm.

The following day she decided to go get a test as she didn't want Alec to see she had done one at home and drove over to Dorchester as Broadchurch was just a small town and word got round too quickly for her liking but as she waited for the results she had a feeling it was just a false alarm with her not having her injections anymore and it had unsettled her which was the reason she had them in the first place. The assistant gave her the results and they were negative and she was disappointed and decided she should tell Alec when he got home but she had really wanted to give him some good news.

She made Alec dinner and they greeted in the usual manner when he got home but he could tell something wasn't quite right. Alec could read his wife quite well. "Rosie, I know something's bothering you so tell me what it is sweetheart," he said, holding her closely.

So Rose told him about the test and could see the disappointment in his eyes. "Rosie, it's ok, we've only just really started trying, I didn't expect it would happen so quickly. Let's see what happens next month eh? You're probably adjusting to coming off your injections. Why don't you get one of those home testing kits and try next month. It might have been too early to tell yet."

Rose nodded her agreement and just clung on to him even tighter. "I really thought I was but you're right, it's probably just what you said. I'll go get one of those kits and keep checking." She kissed his cheek and asked, "Any news yet about the necklace?"

"It's going to take a few days, every single link of the necklace has to be tested and the current owner's family have to be eliminated. Fortunately when it was recovered gloves will have been worn to handle it but also the thief probably wore gloves as it will have tested before but they weren't looking for anything else not connected with the case. We'll know in a few days."

As consolation for their disappointment they spent hours just holding and kissing after they made love until they fell asleep.

Three days later, Alec was in his office and got a call to say the results were back from testing and he opened the file on his computer. He was to be disappointed. While evidence of the girl it had originally belonged to was still faintly present, nothing else matched what they were looking for and evidence that the suspect in that case was missing. He told the Superintendent and so they had to decide whether the pendant back to its current owner or return it to the original owner's family but that wasn't Alec's decision. He hoped it would be rightfully returned and it later transpired that too many people had handled it and any other traces had been covered.

Rose could see right away that it had not been a good result although Alec tried to hide it. It was now the day Rose had been in Broadchurch exactly a year. Alec had brought home a big bunch of red roses and a bottle of wine to celebrate although he was hoping to have two or maybe three things to celebrate.

On the day they had gone on their first date, Rose was meeting Alec in Broadchurch to save him having to drive home so they met at the harbour pub and Rose had splashed out on a taxi to get there with them both drinking non-alcoholic drinks. They made their way to the restaurant, Rose wearing the same dress that had captured Alec's attention the first time he had taken her out and even after a year, he was still trying to look down her dress, something he wasn't giving up easily. They laughed as they remembered their first date and how he'd come to ask her out in the first place and the awkward first kiss. They both agreed that they had never expected to be married a year later.

When they got home, Alec was going to watch Rose get ready for bed when he went up to her and run his hand over her tummy and asked her if she had gained any weight as all the time he'd known her she had stayed the same. She shook her head. "No, I don't think so," she said. "Any particular reason you ask, Inspector?"

Alec just whispered in her ear, "Maybe you should take that test again Rosie," as he got undressed and pulled back the bed covers.

So the next day when she was getting ready, they read the instructions of the test she had bought, which was a re-usable kit and Alec left the bathroom. Rose just screamed out and Alec went dashing in as she was waving the test around, showed him then put it on the shelf and flung her arms around him and kissed him until they both stopped for breath. Rose had taken the first test just slightly too early to get a positive result. A few days more had made a difference in the result.

Rose made a doctor's appointment to confirm a few days later and was pleased she had been right. She was just over four weeks which was why it hadn't shown the first time. She sent a text to Alec saying it was official they were going to be parents and he could tell Ellie. She got home and rang her mother to tell her the good news. Jackie was over the moon at the thought of it but said she was too young to be a grandma. Rose just said there was no pleasing some people.

An appointment was made for Rose to have a scan and book her into the local hospital with Alec insisting she booked a private room as he didn't want everyone gawking at her and to give them some privacy after the baby was born. The day of the scan came a month later and so Alec met her at the hospital and they went in. The nurse asked if they wanted to know what it was going to be but they both said a firm 'No' but took the photo of the scan. They confirmed the date would be in November.

Rose now had another life to look after so they finally agreed to tone down there love life until after the baby was born much to Alec's disappointment but he stuck to the agreement, under protest, he'd said. Alec's birthday came around and Rose was now showing her baby bump although she was trying to hide it with more appropriate clothing.

They began decorating the smaller room in neutral colours and Alec took the bed down and replaced it with a convertible cot and everything else for a nursery plus Rose found some decals of animals to put on the walls. They bought a pushchair that converted to a baby seat for the car and a crib that could be used upstairs and downstairs while the baby was still too small for the cot and could have the baby in their room for a few weeks. Jake came for a visit to help with the decorating and brought Tony with him because he had been nagging his mum and while Alec was at work they would walk down to the beach and Rose would just relax on a lounger that Jake would carry down for her while Tony and Jake went exploring. Jake had also brought them a present of a very hi-tech baby monitor which he fitted for them. Alec took Tony off on the Saturday morning to the fun centre, wanting to spend some time with him and tried to explain to a puzzled boy just how he was going to be an uncle.

They waved Jake and Tony off on the Sunday morning promising he could come back during the six weeks holiday with his mum as Rose wouldn't be able to cope with him on her own then. She agreed to give up driving so depended on Alec bringing things and they would go to the supermarket on Saturday mornings. They started going back to Ellie's on Sundays to get Rose out and so it wasn't too stressful cooking for extra people.

Rose went for regular checkups and soon it was her six month and another scan, adding another photo to a baby album they had started. Alec told Rose every day how glowing she looked and Rose had taken to the bathtub rather than the shower which meant she had to use the bathroom downstairs so Alec would help her in and out and made sure she was ok.

Daisy came down the first week of the holidays and insisted on looking after Rose despite her protests. She had been really grown up about it and insisted she could get the train from Exeter to Broadchurch herself and just waited for Alec to pick her up. They started taking the bus into Dorchester or Broadchurch, meeting Alec for lunch when they did, with Daisy never leaving Rose's side. Alec was really proud of his daughter now and the way she and Rose got on. He was learning how to be her father all over again. Rose said she never doubted he had been anything other than a good father and was certain he was going to be in the very near future. They enjoyed some family time together at the weekend and Rose was sorry to see her go on the Monday morning, insisting on staying at the railway station with her when Alec dropped them off. The two said a tearful goodbye as Daisy boarded the train, Rose again making sure she had enough money for food on the way back and promising the minute they had news that Alec would phone her and maybe she could come down for Christmas as well as the new year.

Jackie and Tony arrived two weeks later and Jackie immediately started fussing over Rose who was now quite big, not letting her do anything but they would still walk down to the beach every day, Jackie managing to carry Rose a lounger somehow. Jackie and Alec would make dinner while Rose kept Tony entertained. Tony was still hooked on police cars, Rose thought he would have gone onto something else by now. Alec took Tony to the fun centre again, his now favourite place when he visited so Rose and Jackie went to watch. Jackie even remarked just how good Alec was with the boy. The time came for them to go back and Alec told Rose he had booked a week's holiday for them to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Rose was now seven months so they weren't going far, just down to Cornwall.

When they got back from holiday, plans were made for Rose to book her date to be admitted to hospital and she agreed that she would go in if she wasn't showing any signs of having the baby by the date. Alec put in for leave to coincide with Rose being admitted as he said he didn't want to miss a moment of it and it had been granted. They spent their evenings just laid on the sofa watching TV or a film, Alec would just lay at the side of her, occasionally kissing her cheek and folding the strands of her hair back over her ear to which she would just waft it back again and nudge him and they'd both smile. Her last scan had proved everything was fine and there were no problems but the nurse thought she had detected two heartbeats but no sign of twins this time or on the last scan and put it down to an echo so they left it at that.

One week to go and Rose was getting panicky, hoping she wouldn't have to go in before her time and hoping she wouldn't keep her husband awake every night waiting for something to happen. Alec was just worried she would be on her own during the day but everything had been planned and it would only take an ambulance fifteen minutes to reach her if needed and he'd told her not to hesitate if she felt anything unusual.

Rose couldn't believe the time was nearly upon them. She tried to calm herself after Alec had gone to work by getting stuck into her work for Torchwood which would soon be coming to an end after Pete told her she was under strict orders to stop when the baby arrived.

Two days to go and she was due on Monday so Alec had started his leave on the Friday and went to do the shopping on his way home as he didn't want Rose dragging herself around the supermarket and he also didn't want everyone staring at her. He got a call from Rose while he was in the queue to pay and stepped aside to take it, thinking she may be going into labour.

"Rose, what is it? Are you ok?" he said, trying to keep calm in front of the queue of people watching him. He wheeled the trolley away from hearing distance and spotted the Vicar, who was just about to come over to him as he had noticed a few packs of new born baby sized nappies and wipes in Alec's trolley.

"Nothing, I'm fine it's just, well I felt a really big kick and it lasted longer than usually. I don't think it's going to wait until Monday somehow. Are you on your way home?"

"No, I'm in the supermarket, I'll be home as soon as I can. Just stay calm, I won't be long." He hung up and got to the back of the queue but Paul Coates had gathered Rose was about to go into labour and everyone stepped aside to let him go to the front of the queue so Alec nodded his thanks and paid for the shopping and left. "Small towns," he thought, "You can't keep anything quiet around here." He got in the car and headed home unaware of what was about to happen.


	15. Chapter 15

Alec got home and put everything away. He'd told Rose he'd bought some extra nappies and kissed her as she sat on the sofa with her feet on a stool, it was getting difficult to lay on the sofa on her own. He started dinner and said he was going to check her case and all the extras she needed for Monday were ready. He was soon back downstairs again when he heard Rose shouting him.

"Rosie, what's wrong, are you getting pains?"

Rose was looking slightly pale and he was getting worried. "It's ok, it's passed, it's probably just the baby getting ready to make an appearance." Then her face changed again as she said, "I'm supposed to be another two days but I don't suppose babies work to our schedule, Inspector," she managed with a smile.

Alec sat beside her and leaned over to kiss her cheek and put his hand on the baby bump, feeling it move as he did and leaned over to kiss her. He was hoping it was going to be a boy but he'd settle for either at this stage. After dinner, he helped her get comfy on the sofa, and while he was washing the dishes she yelled out again. "That's it," he shouted to Rose as he came out of the kitchen and grabbed his phone and car keys. He rang the hospital maternity ward and told them she was getting sharp pains like a kicking sensation and how long they were lasting but was told she wasn't due to go into labour but if the pains got stronger and more often to bring her in.

Alec went upstairs and brought down the hospital things and went to sit with Rose who had now settled back against a cushion, lifted her feet and sat down. Just gone 9 o'clock and when he thought she had settled, she cried out again and putting his hand gently on her tummy, could feel something move but much stronger than before and it lasted longer. He got up and when he did, she doubled up in pain. He grabbed his car keys, made sure everything was locked up and turned off and helped Rose to her feet but she couldn't get up. He rang for an ambulance, telling them who exactly he was and where she was going and the symptoms and was told to keep her laid down and it would be there in fifteen minutes. Keeping Rose calm was another thing. Those were definitely contractions now, he was thinking as Rose was looking paler.

He saw flashing lights outside and went to the door and they asked Rose if she could stand but she couldn't so they went to get a chair and got her in the ambulance, Alec grabbing his phone and Rose's things as they got her in and climbed in beside her as the attendant was checking her blood pressure and timing how often the pains were which were now really close. They got to the hospital and Rose got booked in but her private room wasn't available with her being early so she had to go to a smaller one. The Sister came in with a nurse and they checked a doubled up Rose, trying to get her to straightened out unsuccessfully until the Sister said they'd give her something for the pain. Rose hadn't wanted anything when she was first asked about her coming in but it was apparent she needed it and Alec encouraged her. She was assured it wouldn't hinder her when the time came.

The pain killer started to work and Rose relaxed a little and so the nurse said she would leave them for a while and come back and check on her.

"How are you feeling now, sweetheart?" he asked her. He had noticed the colour coming back into her cheeks.

"I'm feeling better, Inspector, had you worried didn't I?" she teased.

"Better cut out the Inspector bit, they might find it odd and think I'm not your husband," he laughed back, kissing her forehead and putting his hand on her tummy. "Try and rest, close your eyes. How's the pain now?"

"Still there but not as bad, just little kicks now, like earlier but more often," she replied.

"Well, you're not leaving here without that baby," he said. "They're not sending you home. I'd best ring your mum, she needs to know you're in hospital and if they insist on sending you home, I think she just might have something to say about that," he smiled as he got out his phone. "Besides, you're a private patient anyway so they have to follow your wishes even if you are in a different room." He stopped and realised she had leaned back and closed her eyes. He covered her up a bit more and kissed the back of her hand as it was across her tummy on top of his.

The nurse came back in after a while and found Alec with his head on the bed leaning over from the chair and his hand still on Rose so she smiled to herself and left. It was now getting on for midnight.

Alec was woken with a start as Rose suddenly woke and moved her hand with his as he felt the baby move really strongly. He was up in a second calling for the nurse who came back in to check. She was just making Rose comfortable again when she went into the final stage so she was rushed out to the delivery suite, Alec holding her hand all the way there. He had to move aside while they got her prepared but went to stand behind her, grabbing her hand as soon as he could. He'd never got chance to ring Jackie and it was now after midnight but Jackie would go mad if he didn't ring. He asked a nurse how long Rose would be before she went into labour but was told that they'd just have to wait now because Rose didn't want any assistance and she was adamant on that. "Stubborn as her mother," he muttered on his way out to ring his mother-in-law who would either yell at him for waking her or for getting her daughter pregnant.

He gave Jackie and Pete the good news and said he'd ring back with more news and that he'd didn't want to leave her for too long. He was just about to go back in when he heard Rose shout "Inspector, get back in here now!" at the top of her voice and everyone looked at him as he walked in. They all knew who he was.

He turned to a staff nurse and said, "Don't worry, she always calls me that," and held up his wedding ring finger just as Rose said, "Where have you been? You left me."

"Rose, I went to call your mother and I'm more scared of her than I am of you getting mad at me for leaving you. Besides, they were getting you ready and I told the nurse I was going to make a phone call, she said you might be a while."

Rose looked slightly appeased but was about to show her husband she was indeed her mother's daughter when she finally went into labour. After much yelling and screaming at Alec including cursing him for getting her pregnant in the first place and never having sex with him again, then telling him she loved him, the nurse in charge said they could see the baby's head and five minutes later with one last push and Alec holding her hand tightly as he watched, she gave birth to a boy.

They soon got Rose cleaned up and after checking the baby, he was wrapped up and in her arms in a few minutes with Alec's arms around her then holding him. Rose smiled at Alec and said she owed him an apology for cursing him. "You can make it up to me later" he whispered in her ear as he held his new born son.

They got Rose back to her room in the early hours and while they were moving her, he rang Jackie to tell her the good news. They put the baby in the nursery much to Rose's protest but they said she needed some sleep and they would bring him in after she had rested and had some breakfast to which she reluctantly agreed after Alec said he would stay with her and check on the baby. Rose fell asleep shortly after with Alec sat in the chair holding her hand and closing his eyes. He'd had a long day, his loving wife Rose had given him a son whom they had decided to call John Tyler, John because that was the name the Doctor had gone by on more than one occasion and Tyler to keep Rose's family name and he felt happier than he had ever done in his life.

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Alec woke with a start, realising he was still sat in the chair by Rose's side and his neck was aching, a small price to pay and saw Rose was still asleep. He put his jacket on and decided to go freshen himself up and told the nurse outside that she was still asleep and to tell her he'd be back soon. It was just gone 6.30 so he decided not to wake Jackie just yet, she'd be calling soon enough. He came back ten minutes later to see Rose sat up in bed drinking tea. The nurse took pity on him and brought him a cup.

"Well, Inspector," Rose said, "That's our quiet life over with. The nurse is going to get someone to bring John after I've had something to eat and get cleaned up a bit. Speaking of which, is that where you were when I woke up? You should go home and get some proper sleep." She put her cup down on the bedside table and indicated she wanted a kiss from Alec.

Alec went over to the door and closed the little curtain on it and went back over to Rose, sat on the side of the bed and leaned over. He finally let go and just sat holding her hand and waited for them to bring the baby in. He had managed to get a photo as the nurse had handed him to Rose but it wasn't a very good one and had sent it to Jackie who he thought would be on the phone any second now. On cue, his phone rang and it was Jackie wanted to speak to Rose. He made his excuses and went in search of some breakfast, only finding the café wasn't open and came back just as Rose was getting hers and pinched her toast. The nurse took pity on him again and brought some more. Rose just giggled and said he could charm anyone when he really tried.

Just after nine, a nurse brought John in and Alec went to pick him up and gently handed him to Rose and they both just sat there in silence. Alec got up to take some photos to send to everyone and realised he'd not called his daughter but she would be at school now so he just sent her a message and attached a photo knowing she would call back later. He knew the one he'd sent to Ellie would do the rounds at the Station. It was just as well he was taking time off as he'd never live it down. The Ice Detective with a wife and a baby, unthinkable in some people's eyes.

Rose finally persuaded Alec to go home and get some rest and come back later. Husband's and partners were allowed 24hr access and she asked him to bring her phone when he came back and to ring Ellie to see if she wanted to visit. So Alec went off reluctantly saying he'd be back when he'd tried to get some proper sleep and Rose changed and fed her baby and put him in the all-in-one suit that was the first one they had bought and settled him back in the portable cot. After her lunch, she heard a familiar voice outside who was throwing her authority around after being told it was out of visiting hours. A red faced student nurse knocked on Rose's door to ask if she wanted the visitor to come in and Rose told her it was ok.

"You throwing your weight around DS Miller?" Rose laughed as Ellie went straight to the baby to pick him up. "Don't wake him he's just gone to sleep."

"How are you doing, I hear you were in a bad way last night" said Ellie, trying to hide her disappointment and taking a blue teddybear from a bag she had brought in with her. "I hope he looks like you and not his dad," she joked and put the teddy beside the sleeping baby then reaching out to give Rose a hug.

Ellie sat herself down and said, "Well I'm on my lunchbreak and I've got another smartarse as a DI who's even grumpier than Alec was when he first came here and then the nurse said it was out of visiting hours, so what do you expect?" she laughed.

"So you'll be glad when he comes back then? Well don't hold your breath, it will be after Christmas now by the look of it," Rose replied.

They chatted for a while then not being able to hang around until the baby decided it was feeding or changing time again, Ellie left and said she would come back tomorrow with Alec and insisted he still went to her house for lunch.

Rose had a quiet afternoon apart from getting moved into the room she had originally asked for because it was bigger and more private. Alec arrived just after four with Rose's phone so her mother could ring her instead of him getting an earful. He stayed well into the night, taking turns to change John and letting Rose feed him. She had tried the natural way but wasn't having much success so the Sister had said she should give it one more go but they were having to bottle feed him as well so it was less likely he would take to it. Rose was bitterly disappointed but Alec reassured her it wasn't her fault and at least she had tried.

Alec went home and came back Sunday morning, then left again to go to Ellie's for lunch, bringing her back with him while Olly had the boys for an hour or so. Alec had bought another larger teddy that was bigger than the cot and chocolates for Rose which Ellie ate more of. Ellie left and they closed the door and pulled the curtain and put the catch on the door and just sat kissing and looking at the baby. Jackie had rung again wanting to know what they were doing for Christmas and they said for everyone to come down to them as travelling that far wasn't really an option and that Daisy was coming down. Jackie and Pete had been told about her and accepted her as part of the family and Jackie had spoken to her a few times when she'd been visiting and was looking forward to meeting her.

Alec asked when Rose could go home and was told Monday if everything was ok or Tuesday at the latest. Rose was hoping for Monday. Before he left for the night, something he wasn't looking forward to having missed Rose, they decided they would have a non-religious naming ceremony for him at Christmas when everyone was there so no-one got left out. They were hoping that they were going to have enough room for everyone but Alec said they could put the bed back in the nursery for Tony because John would probably still be in their room.

Alec was back bright and early Monday morning with the pushchair/carseat hoping he'd be able to take his family home. He had to wait outside while the doctor and nurse checked them both then he got called in. They were a little concerned with the baby as the doctor thought he'd detected another tiny heartbeat but put it down to an echo or maybe the fact that he'd arrived early when he listened again and got nothing. Rose and Alec just went along with their clinical prognosis. They were told Rose could go home providing she went straight to bed and no heavy lifting of any kind and plenty of rest. Alec assured them he would see to it personally and glared at his wife who he knew only too well.

They arrived home and settled John into his crib and Alec wanted Rose to go upstairs but settled for her laying on the sofa with him, just wanting to hold her after being apart for three nights and almost having his slim wife back which she said she would have to work on. Alec was the first to raise the question of the possible second heartbeat, something they had been trying to avoid since they were told and brought back the occurrence when Rose had her last scan.

"Rosie, do you think there is anything to this second heartbeat thing? I mean, it can't be possible surely?"

"It's probably nothing. I mean I know I absorbed the time vortex but that doesn't mean I'll pass it on. It was taken out of me unless a tiny bit was left inside me. Just because there was doesn't mean he'll be a Timelord. The Doctor once told me that being a Timelord is so much more and there would be no-one to teach him, I don't know enough. I think we might be over-reacting," as she leaned over to kiss him.

Alec got off the sofa gently and went upstairs to get the pocket watch.


	16. Chapter 16

Alec returned with his pocket watch and took Rose's hand and helped her off the sofa and over to the baby. Holding on to her, they stood over the crib and opened the watch. As half expected, nothing happened at first then suddenly, a faint light came from the centre of the watch and swirled around the three of them and then disappeared.

Rose found her voice and said, "But the Doctor said the watch was just a watch now so why was there a light? Oh, it might have been what he called residual energy or background radiation. We all had that when we came here because we had travelled through the vortex." She suddenly noticed Alec was staring at the watch and not saying a word. "Alec, are you ok? Say something, don't go all silent on me again," she continued as she put her arm around his waist, more for her support as she was feeling it by standing up.

Alec turned to her and saw her concern and led her over to the sofa and sat her down, just like he'd snapped out of something. "Rosie, you told me you couldn't keep the vortex in your head because it would kill you, right? Rose nodded. Alec continued," And that's because you absorbed it all at once, right?" Rose nodded again, looking even more concerned now, wondering where this was leading to. "Well what would happen if it was absorbed over a period of time, just enough to seep in bit by bit, like the dreams. What if they weren't dreams Rosie, what if they were his memories, fond memories of you and he was sending them to me so I could share all this with you?" Rose just stared at him. "And, what if they, through my memories and the little bit of time vortex left in you were to…" He stopped and kissed Rose. "Rosie, I think bit by bit – he's turning me into him. Not physically, obviously but mentally, more and more as time goes on because now, I'm beginning to understand things and then, through that, combined with the remaining vortex in you it was passed on to – our son?"

Rose just sat back at the shock of the realization. Alec leaned over and kissed her. "Rosie, I think it's his gift to both of us, what can it possibly be otherwise? There may not have been enough to make our son a Timelord, maybe only one heart is beating or maybe he does only have one heart but somehow, it keeps echoing like there's two? Maybe even he'll have a Timelord brain. Rosie, more and more things keep happening that I can't explain. That fire, for one. I did that without even thinking. There have been other things too, they might have seemed insignificant at the time. I stopped having the dreams but I can still remember them all when I want to. Not all the time but you'll say something and it will trigger a memory. Then there was the fact it only took you two months to get pregnant, John arrived early, ok, maybe we were out on the date but he certainly let you know when he was ready to come out and there were no complications, it was fairly easy." Rose hit his arm. "Ouch, what was that for?" he asked, acting innocently.

"It wasn't easy for me, Inspector. It was far from it. Do you think I actually enjoyed all that pain?" said Rose but she was smiling at him. "It was all worth it though in the end. It could be why they keep hearing two heartbeats then just one but I've no-one to ask about it, no-one to show him what to do if he does turn out part Timelord." Rose stopped and grabbed both his arms. "Inspector, that's it – he's part human, part Timelord. He has to be. Because if the vortex was still present in me, it will have passed to him over the last nine months. The Timelord part comes from both of us, the vortex in me and his memories in you. You said I was in the later dreams, what about now? Are you remembering things that we did together? Maybe opening the watch again will trigger some more."

"Rosie, I don't think opening the watch again will help because I think what happened just then, that one last time was meant for me and John. I think now I'll have everything I need to teach him by the time he's old enough. Whether it will happen when we have other children, I don't know. Maybe it will only be him and he'll have to be told and so will any brothers or sisters. We could ask your dad to send a doctor from Torchwood down to examine him properly and see if there are two hearts. What about the one that was sent to look after Mickey, what was her name? Martha? Maybe she can get away without arousing any suspicion, a medical conference or something?"

"Crikey, Inspector, you really are getting into it aren't you? Am I going to like this new version of you?" She waved her finger at him indicating for him to move forward and kissed him, which turned into a full scale snogging session until they had to stop for breath.

She let him go and leaning into him she said "Alec, I know I shouted and cursed you when I was in labour but you do know I didn't mean it, don't you?" Alec nodded and kissed her forehead. "Especially the bit about never having sex with you again," as she whispered that bit in his ear. "You know as soon as I'm well enough I'm going back on the injections again. I've missed you and it's been awful without having you really close to me. I know you put up with a lot this last six or seven months especially when it was physically impossible to get so close without you hurting me. We can enjoy ourselves making up for it, Inspector," as she pulled him back for a little bit more than another snogging session but whispering she wasn't quite ready yet.

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Alec just nodded his agreement, anything to get close to his wife again who he had in the end physically ached to be with her again. The last seven months had been torture for him not being able to be with her and having to be content with just holding and kissing her and being careful with her. Rubbing her back when it ached, helping her in and out of the bathtub and letting her undress him when she hadn't wanted him to see her get undressed because she thought he wouldn't want her if he saw her but he would have watched her if she had let him. He hadn't cared how big she had got, he had loved to just lay with her and feel the baby moving. He had missed out the first time with his daughter, his ex had wanted nothing to do with him when she was pregnant and he had felt rejected. He knew that had been when he'd lost her for good but not with his beloved Rosie.

She had wanted to be with him from the minute he got home until he went to work the next morning, lingering either at first in the doorway before he drove off or later, keep him in bed until he was nearly late for work. She had never completely gone off him except for getting really physical when it became apparent she couldn't and even then she was apologising every time saying how much she still wanted him. Then she started getting sick every morning and he would be with her, comforting her, trying to make her feel better. He never admitted it to her but sometimes he got sympathy pains. It was a new experience for him, never really having anything to do with the preparations for a new arrival. They had bought everything for the baby together until Rose wasn't able to go shopping any more.

Rose had given him a new purpose in his life and he knew then that more than anything that they were meant to be together. The nine months Rose had carried their baby had been the best nine months of his life on top of spending every day with her.

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The more they talked about it, the clearer it became. Rose rang Pete and asked if someone from Torchwood could come down and he said that maybe Doctor Harper could come down he was an expert in alien physiology and Rose knew of him and had met him on a few occasions so they agreed that he'd pay them a visit on some pretence and see what he could make of it. Jackie was not thrilled at having a possible Timelord for a grandson or even half a one and pushed Pete out of the way of the webcam to make her feelings known to Alec who insisted it wasn't his fault that Rose had absorbed the time vortex and reminded her that he was Alec, not the Doctor and that he had grown back and was keeping his beard to distinguish himself from the latter. She still glared at him though.

A week later, Rose was getting around the house and helping Alec a bit more, who by now was going stir crazy in the house and volunteered on numerous occasions to go out even for the slightest reason. Rose was amused at his sneaky ways of getting out and didn't deter him. Baby John Tyler had a visit from the local midwife and was given the all clear to go out so they put him in the pushchair and walked down to the beach the following Wednesday after they had come out of hospital, Alec struggling to carry two garden recliners while Rose clung onto the pushchair as it was still a bit awkward for her to walk a long way. It wasn't really cold for the end of November but they wrapped him up well and just sat for an hour for some sea air. Alec said by the time the warm weather came, the baby would be old enough to be put on the beach and he couldn't wait to get him into the water. They both still laughed that Alec had been so afraid of the water when he had first got to Broadchurch and how Rose had changed all that, especially on their honeymoon and him taking Tony swimming every visit he made to them.

Doctor Harper arrived two days later and Rose introduced him to Alec. Doctor Harper had heard plenty about 'The Doctor' and was keen to take a look at baby John and gently, using some equipment he brought with him from Torchwood, attached tiny wireless contacts and hooked them up to his laptop and took some readings. He showed them to Rose and Alec but the readings meant nothing to them so he explained. Also using more traditional means, he examined the baby and gave them his conclusion – definitely only one heart. No second heart that wasn't beating for some reason or hidden behind another organ but there were some slightly high readings that were not of a major concern. His diagnosis was he was a healthy two week old boy who may display certain tendencies to get over things faster than most other children as his immune system was certainly more advanced than it should be but he recommended another checkup by himself or another Torchwood doctor in about another six months. Both parents were both relieved and disappointed their baby was almost certainly physically human but his mind was another thing. They asked Doctor Harper if he could take some readings about that but he said the baby was too young yet but he'd make a note to do some tests when they next had him checked. He said there was no reason for them not to take him to their own family doctor and that nothing out of place would show up. They thanked him for coming down, they knew he'd travelled specially to see them.

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The weeks leading up to Christmas were busy, preparing for a rather large family visit and Jake was going to try to come down on Boxing day to see the baby. Arrangements were made for Daisy to come down and Alec would put John's cot in their room and put the bed back up for Tony but Rose thought he would disapprove of the decorations. Jackie had agreed to bring the festive food with them with Alec getting the rest and Jackie said he'd better not mess up with it either. Rose had agreed under protest that she was to have nothing to do with cooking the Christmas dinner, her top priority was the baby and nothing else. Everyone else would get stuck in making the preparations, including he hoped, Daisy who would be meeting Rose's family for the first time and she had admitted to her dad she was getting nervous. Alec told her there was nothing to be nervous of although he'd not told her who they actually were. Alec had got a extended leave until after the new year, something he though Pete had been a party to but wasn't complaining as he was on full pay. More than likely a new edict had been added to the rule of paternity leave for senior officers that would suddenly disappear when he got back to work.

Ellie and the boys were coming on Boxing Day so it was a good thing they had the conservatory as they were going to need it. Two weeks before Christmas, Alec wanted to take Rose out for a special Saturday night out and so Ellie had agreed to take the baby for the night and they'd pick him up on Sunday morning so they packed the crib up and left him at Ellie's with all his things and Ellie assured them she would ring if there were any problems and for them to have their first night together alone since he was born without getting up to see to him. The baby was now six weeks old and had his own agenda as to when he wanted feeding and changing and when he wanted attention. Rose said there must be some Timelord in him somewhere. Rose was well enough to go back on her injections and so they were going to make a special occasion out of being on their own.

They went back to where they had been for their second date and had a lovely evening and Alec was up to his old trick of trying to look down her dress but she had learned to read his face when he was about to. She just giggled and touched his leg with her foot to remind him of when he had tried to do that on their second date. Alec only had one drink because they had gone in Rose's car, she had started driving again and had even taken John in the baby seat to show him to Clare and Carly one Saturday.

They drove home, Alec doing all the things he used to when he stopped and when they got home it was like they had never forgotten how it felt to just stumble in and be all over each other like they used to, undressing each other as they went upstairs and not worrying about waking anyone. For the first time since Rose found out she was pregnant, they could really show each other how they had missed their time together and Rose was back to screaming for more.

The following morning, Alec tried to get out of bed without disturbing Rose and went to make her some breakfast. The first time in six weeks Rose had been fed first, he thought. They were picking up the baby later and staying at Ellie's for lunch so after several attempts to get her out of bed, they took a quick shopping trip to Dorchester to get some last minute shopping. Rose was anxious to pick up John but Alec said he'd be fine or Ellie would have called so they dropped off the shopping and went to Ellie's with Rose out of the car before Alec and was quickly reunited. After lunch they decided to all go for a walk where the two of them used to go running then drove back home.

The 23rd of December arrived and Alec got up early to get ready for Daisy's arrival and got a message from her to say she had just boarded the train in Glasgow as Alec had sent her the money for a ticket and he now had the arrival time at Exeter. Rose wanted to go with him but he insisted it was a lot of getting ready just for a round trip to Exeter and maybe having to stop off and feed and change the baby so reluctantly she stayed behind and then they would all go and do the last big supermarket shop before the holidays. So while he was gone, Rose rang her mother to get a list of things they still needed and had some time with John. Rose had been thinking that she rather preferred to call him Tyler and was going to ask Alec since they were having a naming ceremony on Boxing day and had hired a room at the hotel in Broadchurch and asked the Vicar to give him a blessing and name him, not a religious ceremony as such but just for family and close friends and they had invited Olly to cover it for the paper.

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As Alec drove towards Exeter he had the car radio on and was feeling quite happy having the entire combined family for Christmas. This year was going to be even better as Roses's wish for a new addition had come true and this time last year, they hadn't even talked about it let alone actual have a new baby. He was just about five miles from Exeter when he hit a traffic jam. He had about 45 minutes before the train arrived and he would have been in plenty of time but the traffic was at a standstill. He dialled Daisy's number on his built-in handsfree kit and told her he might be delayed and if he wasn't there, to go into the station café and wait for him and that she was to go off with no-one even if they said he had sent them unless he rang her to say so. He was always careful to make sure that he made that quite clear with Daisy and with Rose because he always feared that someone would lure them away or upset them by telling them something dreadful about him and worrying them or worse. Twenty minutes and one mile later, he was getting nowhere fast. He tried calling Daisy again but there must have been no signal where she was so he sent a message. He could still make it if the traffic got a move on.

As he got nearer he could see where the traffic was held up, roadworks. "Typical council mentality" he thought. "Two days to Christmas and they have to dig up a road like they couldn't wait." At least now he thought he might get away with the next lot but the lights didn't appear to want to let more than two or three vehicles through at a time so he got on his mobile and called Ellie. He asked her to call the traffic control in Exeter, told her where he was and tell them to get someone out to adjust them to let more cars through because whoever had set them was an idiot.


	17. Chapter 17

Alec finally got through after three more attempts, saw an Exeter council van pass him and thought he had at least accomplished something and might have better luck on the way home. Instead of finding somewhere to park, he got through to Daisy who had just got off the train and told her to meet him outside as he pulled up and said where he was. He soon found her and because he had taken his car that had a police sticker he could put in when stopping anywhere and spying a traffic warden, he gave him the beady eye daring him to come over as he put the sign on the dashboard as he got out of the car to help Daisy load her case and a bag.

All loaded up, he turned around and set the satnav for home, hoping the lights he had taken so long to get through had been fixed. His call had worked and they more or less got straight through and traffic on the other side of the roadworks was looking a lot better than when he'd been there. They talked all the way back, Daisy couldn't wait to see her new half-brother and had told all her friends at school and showed them the photos Alec had sent. Her mother however wasn't so pleased that her ex had moved on and got married as she was living with someone but had chosen not to have another family. "Her loss," was all Alec thought about it.

They finally got back and Daisy was out of the car immediately leaving Alec to get her things. Rose had seen them pull into the driveway and picked up the baby to go greet her.

"Hi, welcome back," Rose said as Daisy went to take the baby from her and letting her.

"Oh he's gorgeous, I'm not going to want to go back home now. He's still so tiny," as she held his little hands.

Alec led them all inside as he didn't want them to stay out long and Rose had made them something to eat. Alec complained about the roadworks and said he'd got Ellie to make them do something about them.

"You, throwing your authority around, you're as bad as Ellie when she came to visit me in hospital," Rose laughed. It was all she could do to get Daisy to put her new half-brother back down while she ate.

They all got ready and Alec put the baby seat in and they went off to finish the shopping, with Rose taking the list she had made. Daisy wanted to push him around the store which freed Rose and Alec to get what they needed. They bumped into the Latimers and they made a fuss of the baby. They also bought a new tree and some decorations which they put up when they got back then when Daisy had gone to have a rest, Rose decided it was time to ask about the baby's name.

"Alec, do you prefer John or Tyler for his first name. I mean, it's not official yet. I can get the birth certificate changed even if I need some help doing it and if I can't there's nothing wrong with changing his name before he's old enough to know and he can change it back when he gets older. It just seems strange calling him John and we seem to refer to him as 'Baby' more than anything. So what do you think, Inspector? Tyler John Hardy or John Tyler Hardy? I'll go by what you decide." Rose thought now was the time to do her little sway that always worked when she wanted something. It used to work on the Doctor all the time which was how she had met Pete in the first place.

She sat back on the sofa and Alec thought about it. "Well, Rosie, it's probably more trendy to call him Tyler but won't he think it strange when he gets older as his grandparents and his uncle have his name as a surname? Just think when there's a houseful of people and someone calls 'Tyler' then everyone will look."

"Hadn't thought about that but that will only be at family get togethers' but I suppose it will be a bit strange Tony calling him Tyler," Rose laughed. ''I don't know about John though. I mean I only thought of it to remember the Doctor but there is one other name that will remind me of him. Remember Jack I told you about? We could call him that for short and still keep his name on the certificate or get it changed. So what about Jack?"

Alec leaned her back against the cushion and gathered her legs up over him and leaned over her. He glanced over at his sleeping son who was just at the side of the sofa and gently kissed Rose, his hand moving under her top. "Sweetheart, if we call him Jack and his certificate says John it will also cause him confusion. I know we decided on John at first but you're right, somehow it doesn't seem to suit him. We can still go to the Town Hall tomorrow morning and get it changed, I'm sure you can do that. So, you like Jack? Jack Tyler Hardy. Not many people have actually used his name anyway like you say and we're just as guilty of that. I think it's just something that all parents do when babies are young, it's like you never want to stop calling them that when you refer to them that way before they're born. So Jack it is then. Agreed?"

"Well, if you insist, Inspector," she replied, taking his hand and moving it further up, then she pulled him down on her and kissed him as his other hand went up her skirt. Rose broke the kiss first. "Better watch out, Inspector, Daisy might come down."

Alec begrudgingly let go. "Things are never going to be the same around here, Rosie so we might as well get used to it. No more noisy nights of passion so better get used to being quiet. We'll just have to get round it somehow. Anyway, since we're going to have a houseful over the next few days it will give us practice." Rose just laughed.

Alec started dinner then Daisy came to help while Rose was feeding Jack. They told Daisy they had decided to call him Jack rather than John and she liked it. After they had eaten, Alec took the baby upstairs and settled him down after his bath and feed and Daisy suggested the two of them went out and she would babysit.

"If you two only walk down to the local, you'll be back in five minutes if I have any trouble. Please, just go out for an hour or two, we'll be fine, honestly. You won't get another chance, everyone else will be here tomorrow. The baby monitor is on and he should sleep anyway and you'll be back by his next feed."

Rose looked at Alec who nodded his agreement. So they just walked down to the local and had a few hours to themselves, Rose's phone never left her hand in case Daisy rang. Alec thought she was being paranoid but he knew better than to argue with her.

When they got home, Rose rang her mother with the last minute arrangements and to tell her they had decided to go with the name Jack for the baby. Jackie was a bit surprised but she thought it suited him better anyway. She said they would be there around two so Alec said they could go see about changing his name but didn't know if they would be able to. Rose said Jake might be able to help with that, he was good at getting people new identities and she reminded Alec that she had got her cards and passport changed before they even got married.

After breakfast the next day, Rose and Alec set off to the town Hall and left Jack with Daisy and asked about changing his name. To their surprise they said it was possible since the baby was so young so they saw the Registrar and had it changed. Rose wanted to go straight back home but Alec said there was one more stop to make besides the errands they had to run. They walked down to the hotel where they were due to go for Jack's naming ceremony and made sure the room was booked then when they left, Rose went to see Clare and Carly to give them presents while Alec said he had something of his own to do and they would meet in the café. Rose had rung Daisy a few times who had insisted she and Jack were fine but wondered what her husband was sneaking around for. She took the opportunity to go find another present for him and had plenty of time to get to the café. What Rose didn't know that Alec was planning a little surprise for her. After they met at the café, they drove home ready for the rest of the family to arrive and Rose made a big fuss over her son who was awake as Daisy had just fed him and hoped he'd stay awake for when her mum came.

Just after two, the Tylers arrived and Alec showed them their rooms and Tony was most put out that there were animals on the wall of his room. Jackie said it was only for a few nights and to remember it was going to be the baby's room. Everyone except Tony stayed up until after midnight, Jackie wanted to know all about Daisy and had dragged Alec into the kitchen to tell him he had a great daughter and was pleased how she and Rose got on.

The next morning was a repeat of the year before, with one extra throwing wrapping paper around and Rose trying to stop everyone from playing pass the parcel with Jack. The turkey had been prepared and was in the oven at the crack of dawn because Jackie had insisted on getting down early to make a start. Jack had woken early so Alec didn't want to disturb Rose and took him down to find Jackie already in the kitchen so they had talked for a while and Jackie was giving him baby advice which he accepted because he admitted he was sometimes out of his depth. He had told Jackie about not having much to do with Daisy's early months because his ex hadn't let him play a very big role until she was a bit older. Jackie told him he was doing a great job with Jack.

They all enjoyed the family dinner except Rose and Alec noticed there was something wrong when they were pulling Christmas crackers and putting on paper hats. All of a sudden Rose got up, went into the conservatory and closed the door. Everyone looked at Alec who clearly didn't know what was going on with her. He got up and went after his wife. Rose was sat on one of the wicker chairs, watching the lights they had put up and was crying.

"Rosie, sweetheart, what's wrong? You have to tell me. I thought you were looking forward to this year, having the baby and Daisy here."

Rose just looked up at him, then he pulled another chair next to hers and put his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close, wiping her tears.

"It's nothing, I'm just being stupid again. Alec, I thought all this had gone away and then we pulled that cracker and a pink hat came out and it just..." She stopped. "Well, it reminded me of the first Christmas the Doctor regenerated and looking at you, seeing the pink hat. I'm sorry, I really thought I was over all that and then when we were talking recently about him and the pocket watch, it just got too much."

Alec just wiped her tears and kissed her cheek and said, "Are you up to going back in?" Rose nodded and they went back in to find Jackie and Daisy had already cleared most of the table and were bringing in the desert. Most everyone stayed up late again, baby Jack was put in his cot and Jackie had insisted on bathing and feeding him and they made the final arrangements with Ellie to meet them the following morning at the hotel at eleven and told her they had decided to change his name. Rose didn't know yet that Alec was planning a little surprise for her later on Boxing Day which was the reason he had sneaked off the day before.

Everyone finally went to bed, Rose and Alec had devised a way of keeping the noise down without any neck marks which they were quite pleased about and baby Jack only woke once and Alec managed to see to him without waking Rose, something he was getting quite good at. He fed and changed the baby and sat in the rocking chair he had bought for Rose and holding him close, the baby fell asleep again but he never noticed Rose had opened her eyes and seen him sitting there and she had a tear in her eye from just watching him. He put Jack back down again and slipped back into bed as Rose rolled back over and lay on him and she whispered "You're a wonderful dad." Alec kissed her and they both went back to sleep.

After breakfast the following morning, there was a hive of activity and Jackie had brought Tony's Christening suit for Jack to wear and they all set off to the hotel to find Ellie was already there. It was only a short naming service with the Vicar giving him a blessing, Olly was taking some photos of Rose and Alec holding their son with Jackie hovering in the background wanting one taken herself with her grandson and Tony thought it was a party for the baby and still didn't get how he was Jack's uncle because he called Jake 'Uncle' and he was older. His dad told him he would understand when he got older because he didn't get that Alec was his brother-in-law either. Jake hadn't been able to get there so they sent him some photos.

Rose didn't know at the time but they were coming back later as Alec had something really special planned for just the two of them. Everyone went back for a late lunch, Ellie got on well with Jackie so they took over the kitchen, the three boys were in the conservatory with the presents they had just received as Tony got an extra one so he wouldn't feel left out when Tom and Fred opened theirs. Alec and Pete were talking and Rose and Daisy were fussing over Jack. Alec suddenly got up and picked up his son from Rose and said he wanted to talk to Rose upstairs so they went to their room with Rose wondering what was going on. Alec said he just wanted some quiet time with them since their house had been taken over by family, just until lunch was ready. They now considered Ellie and the boys as part of their extended family.

Alec lay Jack in the middle of the bed and indicated to Rose to lay on one side of him and he lay the other, just with their arms around each other covering Jack who was now wide awake on his back and kicking his legs having been woken when Alec picked him up. So they just laid in silence, Jack was holding onto Rose's finger and Alec hand was on hers with Alec occasionally rubbing Jack's bare foot. After Tom was sent up to call them, Alec gathered Jack up in his arms and they went to join everyone for lunch.

Early evening, Ellie and the boys went home, Daisy and Jackie took the baby for his bath and feed and Alec disappeared for a few minutes and came back and told Rose to get her jacket and that they were going out but Rose was suspicious as he had a small shoulder bag with him.

"What are you up to?" she asked.

"Just get your things and you'll find out. Everything has been arranged. We have a house full of people who can look after Jack so we are going out for the night."

Rose just looked at him, then at Pete who shrugged his shoulders and said to her "I wouldn't argue if I were you, it was your mother's idea."

"OK, so what have you got planned?"

"You'll find out, come on. I'm only saying we are going to be stopping out all night," as he looked in Pete's direction.

Rose knew when she was outnumbered so went along with it. "Don't I get to kiss my son goodnight? she asked.

"Well go now then and I'll wait in the car, I've already said goodnight to him."

Rose went back upstairs and prised her mother away from standing over his cot which Alec had put in Daisy's room and kissed her son goodnight, glaring at her mother and Daisy who were clearly in on the plot.


	18. Chapter 18

Alec drove them to a small restaurant in Broadchurch not far from the hotel where they had been earlier, fending off her questions saying it was all her mother's idea to get the two of them out. Rose said that was just typical and they'd had a night out recently when Ellie had taken Jack but Alec said he wanted this to be special and he had a surprise for her.

They had a light meal and a glass of wine and got back in the car and Alec drove to the hotel and pulled up in the car park. It was just gone nine and Rose thought it a bit late to be going to a hotel but he said it had all been arranged. They got their room key after Alec had got a bottle of wine from the bar and went to their room. Rose couldn't believe they were actually getting out of the house for the night and said she felt guilty leaving Jack again so soon.

"Rosie, he's not old enough to understand yet, there are three people there to look after him and Daisy will get your mother if she has trouble with him and they'll ring if they need us. I just wanted so much to have some time with you this year. We went to your parent's last year then Daisy came down and we've not had a Christmas together completely on our own. It was your mother's idea to make it tonight so I wanted to make it special. I've packed a change of clothes and there is a very special present for you." He went over to the shoulder bag and got out a thin package wrapped in red shiny paper with a white bow fastened around it. "Open it sweetheart."

She opened it to find a beautiful red, satin very revealing nightdress that must have caused some looks when Alec went to buy it. She put her arms around his neck and was about to kiss him when he let her go, reached over to the bag and pulled out a sprig of mistletoe and held it above them and said "Right, now this is what I call a Christmas kiss."

When they finally parted, Rose said, "I suppose you're going to want me to try this on now, Inspector," her face beaming.

Alec felt he was like the cat who got the cream as she slowly undressed then slipped the gown on. "You look beautiful, Rosie," he whispered as he put his arms around her, never wanting to let her go. He pulled the bed sheets back and began to get undressed as Rose watched him, wanting to unfasten his shirt buttons but he wouldn't let her, teasing her until he was down to just his shorts then held out his hands to grab hers and pulled her towards him.

The next morning, Rose was on the phone asking about Jack and he'd been fine, only waking once and settling down again. They went in search of breakfast and then set off back home. When they arrived, Daisy had Jack laid on the sofa and he was kicking and she was playing with his fingers and toes and he looked happy, Jackie was packing as they were going home and Tony was arguing he wanted to stay because Daisy was and Pete told him she was older and besides, they had their hands full looking after Jack and he'd not brought enough clothes to stay longer anyway. Tony looked at Alec to rescue him, hoping for a reprieve and he said to ask Rose so he made his sad eyes look at his big sister and pleaded with her to let him stay.

Jackie had heard it all and came down wanting to know if he stayed if they'd be able to manage as Daisy wasn't going back until the 2nd January but there was the question of getting Tony back home and Alec was thinking of going back to work so it meant relying on Jake. So Rose suggested that she rang Jake and get him to come down for the new year and take Tony back with him. So Rose called Jake who said he'd come down but would stay at the local hotel as he didn't want to come alone and they would just stay new years eve and celebrate with them then take Tony back on new years day. Everyone agreed with that and Alec said he'd take care of taking Tony to get any more clothes he needed.

So they said goodbye to Jackie and Pete and Tony wasn't even that upset because Rose and Alec's house was like his second home now and he'd found a new pair of ears to listen to his police car story of how he'd been for a ride in a real police car. Daisy said she felt really at home because it was her first Christmas since being little that she'd spent with a real family that really loved each other. Tony had another mystery to solve as to how he was related to Daisy. Alec got Daisy and Tony in the car and took them to Dorchester which gave Rose a quiet afternoon with Jack. She was dreading what Tony would be coming back with if he got his own way but wasn't that worried about Daisy.

They all came back around 3 o'clock, Tony with some new clothes and a toy police bike and Daisy with some clothes and a new personal media player. Alec went back out to the car and brought out a large fluffy white toy dog for Jack and a box wrapped up for Rose and getting Tony and Daisy to their rooms, told Rose to open it. Alec picked up Jack from the sofa and put him in the new padded play gym that was surrounded by all kinds of animals and things to play with that Jackie had bought him for Christmas and waited for Rose to open the box. He had specially ordered a replica of a Police Box. Rose just fell back onto the sofa as she couldn't quite get over it.

The Police Box was about eight inches tall with a white light on the top, white windows all the way round and the notice on the door with a little flap that opened complete with an old phone. When the doors opened there was a tiny console in the middle with a column of light and the walls were coral. Rose was now in tears. Alec had been to Dorchester a week before, taking printouts of the Tardis from the drawings Rose had made and had got Pete's permission to use them to go to a specialist model maker who had been instructed very carefully by Pete that only one was to be made and the printouts handed back to Alec upon completion and if any more models surfaced – well, he'd know where they came from. Peter Tyler was well known as not to be messed around with. It had not been ready a few days before but it didn't matter, as long as it had got finished and Rose now had tears streaming down her face. Alec sat beside her and put his arms around her and held her close. He put the box down on the table and pulled her even closer, brushing her tears away.

"Rosie, I didn't mean for you to get upset, sweetheart. I got Pete's permission to have it made for you. I wanted to give it you on Christmas Day but it wasn't ready, that's why I went to collect it today. So, what do you think? Do you like it?" He turned his head closer to hers. "Last Christmas Day, you gave the best present I could ever ask for, you gave me my daughter back. I can't give a real life-sized Tardis but I can give you the next best thing."

Rose just sat there, clinging to him. Alec had one eye on Jack who was gurgling away and kicking a soft toy and his cheek next to Rose's, feeling her tears. She pulled away and looked at him.

"How did you manage to get someone to make a model? It's almost exact in every detail. Did you print out the drawings I made?" Alec nodded.

"That and I remembered the notice on the door and that it had a phone inside the flap. The model maker was under strict instructions from your dad that no more were to be made. Rosie, we never had them here, our police developed radios probably before they caught on in your world so there was never any need for them or if they couldn't use them they would use a normal telephone box dialling a special number."

Rose let go of him and picked up the Police Box and opened the door again. The only things that were missing were the hammer hanging from the console that the Doctor used to bash the control panel with when the Tardis wasn't behaving and the jumpseat. She stared at it, remembering the coral columns and the way the Doctor always flung his coat over the first one even though there was a coat hanger by the door. She remembered how she had left her blue jacket over the rail the last time she had been inside, never imagining that day, that fateful day, she would be parted from her Doctor and her universe forever. Now she had her consolation, after all that time, her husband, her son and a step-daughter who she treated as being her own, just like Pete had accepted her. There had been no question whatsoever in her mind that she wouldn't accept Daisy as part of their family, she was Alec's daughter and he had missed out on a big chunk of her life and Rose was going to do everything she could to make up for that.

"Alec, it's the best present I could ever have." She kissed him then let go of Alec and walked over to their display cabinet containing trinkets from their honeymoon and their last holiday before Jack was born, things Rose had collected before she arrived in Broadchurch and framed photos of their wedding, one with three of them when Jack was just a few hours old and one with all four of them that Alec had taken the day Daisy arrived and they had bought a frame for it. She made a space right at the front on the middle shelf and placed the Police Box in the middle. "We're going to get some questions asked about that, Inspector, especially from Tony. He's never been told that me and mum are not from here but he's going to be told when he's old enough to understand," she said, holding back her tears.

Alec put his arm around her and kissed her cheek. "I should ask Pete if we can tell Daisy, she's old enough and I know she won't tell anyone. I have a really strong suspicion she's going to choose to come and live with us when she's sixteen. When we were out and went to get some lunch, she said she hadn't been getting on very well with her mother, especially since she started to visit us. She said that her mother was too interested in her boyfriend and when she gets home, spends most of her time in her room because she feels uncomfortable and they always leave her out of everything. They hardly ever do anything as a family and Daisy said you're more of a mother to her now than her own. Rosie, would you object to her coming to live with us? You can say no. She's not asked yet but she'll be sixteen in February and I think she will ask before she goes home. It's a big decision for all of us, so we have to have an answer for her if she does ask. I don't want to keep her waiting for an answer, I want to be able to tell her yes or no, so what do you think?"

Alec had to turn away to see that Jack was still ok but he'd fallen asleep so Alec picked him up and put him in the crib which was getting a bit small for him. Rose went over to him and kissed Jack on his forehead as Alec put him down. He turned back to Rose who just looked at him.

"You, Alec Hardy are a wonderful father to Jack and you're turning into a great one for Daisy and I know you missed so much of Daisy growing up but now you have another chance with her and I can't take that away from you. If she asks then yes, I'd be proud to have her with us as part of our family." She reached up and pulled him forward and kissed him and had just let go when they heard a "Hmm" from behind.

"Can't you two get a room dad?" Daisy laughed.

Alec replied, "Well yes but someone has to watch Jack, are you volunteering?" he winked at her as she came closer. There was still nearly two hours before teatime.

"Go on, I'll watch him for a while then you two can make tea when you come back down. Tony's borrowed my media player, I downloaded some cartoons for him to watch. I connected it to the wi-fi and downloaded them so you won't get a huge bill." She crossed over to stand over a sleeping Jack. "Go on, what are you waiting for? Will he need feeding when he wakes up?" 

 

Rose nodded and grabbed Alec by the hand and pulled him towards the stairs.

"I owe you Daisy," Rose said.

They were just about half way to the stairs when Daisy said,"No need, I heard the last part of your conversation and I was going to ask you before I left but I guess I don't have to now." She crossed over to them and they both put their arms around her. "I've had the best Christmas ever, you make me feel I have a real family now. So, I guess that's a yes then? The only problem is I have to wait until I'm sixteen, or do I?"

Alec let go of her and said, "Well, officially you have to but I can see if we can make it sooner. It's not that much longer, as soon as your birthday comes you can come back down. We'll have to make school arrangements anyway and you'll have exams to take and college to arrange so it will take some time to do that. If you can put up with a few more weeks we can have everything ready for you."

 

Daisy let go of Rose and turned to Alec. "Won't it take longer to arrange?" I mean, starting a new school and then I go to college? I hadn't even thought of going to college, mum never even asked me what I wanted to go. I suppose she just assumed I'd get a job. Do you want me to go to college?"

"Well, that would be best for you, you can choose what you want to do. You don't have to. Maybe you could just get some job training instead? Anyway, I thought you were volunteering your babysitting services for an hour and the clock is ticking," Alec laughed, looking longingly at Rose. "We can discuss it later and if Tony comes down, put some earphones on and make him a drink until we come back down or he'll talk your ears off."

They were up the stairs two at a time, any excuse to have some time to themselves. As soon as they reached the top of their stairs, clothes were everywhere, knowing they wouldn't be disturbed and for just an hour or so they could have some time to themselves. They had just about perfected the art of not biting each other or making a lot of noise as Alec gently lay on Rose and made her feel like she wanted to shout the house down.

After they were back downstairs and had tea, Tony wanted to know what a Police Box was and Daisy was just as interested. So Alec said that when he was a boy, he used to dream of a blue box that would take him on adventures, which was half true. He told them that he had told Rose about it and had wanted to show her so he had the model made. He didn't tell them what was inside but planned to tell Daisy once he had the ok from Pete.

After he'd told Tony a story, they continued their conversation about Daisy living with them so Alec put on his brave face and rang her mother. She wasn't happy to hear from him but he pointed out that Daisy would soon be sixteen and could legally leave home and that he would take full financial responsibility for her, relieving her from it as he had made contributions in the past for extra expenses. His ex sarcastically wanted to know how he could cope with a teenager when there was a baby in the house as Daisy had told her about Jack and how he'd never helped her raise their daughter. That made him mad but to avoid a row with Rose and Daisy listening he just told her that that had been her fault for turning away from him, not his. She couldn't answer that. In the end, he won and Daisy would go back to Glasgow until the next school holidays to finish her present school while Alec made the arrangements and then he would drive up himself and collect her one weekend and he would stop over in a nearby hotel and drive back with her the next day.

Rose had agreed and told Daisy when she came back she could choose her room and decorate it and that she was looking forward to her being with them full time. Rose had never had any brothers or sisters growing up and neither had Daisy so she knew how it felt and Daisy would have a little brother to look after just as she had done with Tony. Both Daisy and Alec were getting an instant family and a second chance and Rose was feeling sorry for Daisy's mother, that she had given it all up because she had turned Alec away and was now practically losing her daughter and didn't even seem bothered about it. Rose could never imagine her mother doing that so easily after all she went through when Rose was travelling with the Doctor and how she had slapped him when she went missing for a year.

With all that settled, Rose and Alec would pay a visit to the local school and college when term started and may have to enlist some help in it at such short notice. Daisy would come down the first weekend during the next school holidays to make it easier then have a week to settle in and get uniform which Rose would organise. They were now looking forward to the new year and being together permanently and when Rose and Alec had settled into bed after checking on Jack and Alec checking on Tony and Daisy, they felt everything was as it should be, everyone together.

Soon it was the new year, Jake and his partner arrived and they all spent new years eve together and they told Jake, who was just meeting Daisy for the first time that she was coming to live with them and he told them he would be proud to look after her same way he did with all the family and welcomed her. They left on new years day, taking a rather sad Tony back with who couldn't wait to come back next time.


	19. Conclusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loose ends tied up

After Alec and Rose had seen off Daisy at the railway station on the 2nd with her leaving some of her things as she was coming back, they went to Dorchester to look for new clothes for Jack who was growing fast. Alec went back to work on the 3rd leaving Rose on her own for the first time but she was surprised how fast the day went and she took Jack into Broadchurch to meet Alec and Ellie for lunch. Ellie was relieved to have Alec back as his replacement was driving her mad. When the schools re-opened, they made an appointment to enrol Daisy and the head teacher sent for her records and asked if she could come down for an interview so they had to arrange that via video conferencing so as to avoid disruption. All went well with Daisy's interview and she was accepted to start next term and then she would have to make a college application from there.

Jack was soon three months old and had his check up, everything being normal considering. He was now paying much more attention especially when his dad was around which pleased Alec no end. The weekend came for Alec to go collect Daisy so he set off early on the Saturday morning after she had finished school. Rose gave him a proper send off but was disappointed she wasn't able to go with him but she knew Alec was right about having to make stops and it was just an overnight stopover with Alec pre-booking a nearby hotel. He arrived in Glasgow late in the afternoon and arranged to meet Daisy for a while to discuss everything and he was to pick her up at 9 o'clock the following morning and wait in the car and pack all her things. He had taken his so there was more room. He had rung Rose the minute he had got there and they spent ages talking and she had called Daisy who was by now getting excited at joining her new family. Rose was equally excited at having her living with them it just felt right somehow even though Daisy wasn't her own, it now felt like it. She had always felt so sorry for Alec from the moment he had told her and now everything had been put right.

Alec arrived at his ex's flat on time and Daisy began bringing her stuff down, she had been almost packed since she'd got back after the new year so it didn't take long. Her mother never even came out, she had just said goodbye to Daisy like she was just going out for the day, let alone forever. Daisy had promised though that she would go back for visits and both Rose and Alec had said that she should but when Jack was older they would take her up to Glasgow and stay there while she visited. They made good time on the way back and Rose was really glad to see them. Daisy couldn't believe how big Jack had got.

Rose organised Daisy's uniform over the next week and had let her choose which room she wanted and they'd bought everything she needed to make it her own. They had bought her a laptop so she could do her school work and a TV but over the first week she had spent most of her time with Jack. Her first day at school, Rose and Alec went with her and introduced themselves to her teacher and got more than a few looks from some of the parents as they knew the Inspector had a baby son but not a grown-up daughter. They had also been out to celebrate the second anniversary of their meeting with Daisy babysitting.

Ellie and the boys had started coming round for Sunday lunch again which they all enjoyed and they'd all go down to the beach afterwards, except if it was raining, then they'd play games in the conservatory. Jack was fascinated watching the rain run down the windows and Fred would try and catch it. Ellie said they looked like they had always been together. Rose and Alec had resumed their Sunday morning run now Daisy could look after Jack for an hour and always went to their room afterwards to resume what they used to do when they got back since they now had two others to think about and so Alec had taken a sofa up to their room now Jack was in the nursery. They had missed their time on the sofa, only kissing and covering up with a throwover and Daisy had been told to make a noise if she came downstairs and take her time so Alec got tired of it and took one of the sofas up as soon as Jack was old enough to be left in his own room.

Rose finally got round to asking Pete if they could tell Daisy about Torchwood and everything and he agreed now she was part of the family that she should be told. So one night after Alec got home they decided to tell her, bit by bit about how the two of them had met and how they were drawn to each other and all the things they had in common. Daisy listened in silence and watched as Rose showed her all the evidence from the Torchwood Database, not everything at first such as about the Doctor but when they asked her what she thought about it they were surprised how well she had taken it and wanted to know the rest. So Rose told her how she had got to the universe and how Alec looked like the Doctor and why at one point he had shaved off his beard and about the Tardis. Daisy took it all in her stride and asked about Jack, if he was going to be special. That was something that had yet to be determined.

The next school holidays, Daisy was supposed to be studying but they all went to London to show her where Rose's family lived and if she thought her new house was big, she was in awe at the Tyler mansion. She was greeted like she had always been part of the family and Tony was happy to see her even if he hadn't yet worked out just how he was related to her, he was still trying to work Alec out. After they left London, agreeing they could all come up the next holidays, Alec said they could arrange a proper family holiday and go to a holiday resort so he made all the arrangements to go during the long school holidays before Daisy went to college and for Tony to go with them. Alec would go across the day before and pick him up then pack everyone into his car the following day then they would all travel to London, drop everyone off and Rose and Alec would go off for a few days on their own to Brighton then pick up Jack and Daisy. Daisy's exams were coming up and Rose helped her during the day or allowed her to visit a friend to study.

Soon Jack was six months old, time to take him for a visit to Doctor Harper and he was showing signs of paying more attention than he should be for a six month old but nothing physical was showing up when he was examined and he was still too young for other tests so they agreed to go back when he was older and to wait and see what happened.

Tony came down for another visit in May with just Jackie, who had suddenly found her freedom by starting to drive herself again and everyone had to squash in the house with Alec having to put the bed back in the nursery again and moving the cot over and Tony being told not to wake Jack. Alec had to work most of the time but they all went to the fun centre on the Saturday afternoon and Rose took Jack in for a while and he loved it. Alec was giving Tony more swimming lessons and he was doing really well and Daisy took Tony on the slides while Alec went to join Rose.

Jackie and Tony left the following day and Alec said they should seriously consider building an extension for another bedroom at this rate as they really didn't want to move. So they hired an architect to see if it would be possible to build over the garage and put another bedroom above it, gave some ideas of what they wanted and asked the architect to draw up some plans which when they saw them was just what they wanted and let him put in for planning permission. It would give them the much needed space for visitors and when they had more children themselves which wasn't going to that much longer if Alec got his way. They got the permission and found out the builders could do it in six weeks so they went ahead. Pete had said he would pay for it as it would benefit them when they came to stay.

The extra bedroom was completed on time, Alec and Jamie decorated one weekend and carpets were ordered and Alec brought the spare bed and furniture out of the garage, Daisy moved into the new room as it was the largest, with her helping him move everything around. She had applied to a college in the area and had been accepted and Alec had agreed to drop her off every a bit earlier in the mornings and Rose would pick her up as she said it would get them out of the house.

The long school holidays came around, Alec went to collect Tony and they all set off the next day to a holiday resort in Minehead, Alec having booked a large 3 bedroomed family apartment for a week. Tony spent most of it in the kids club when he wasn't dragging Alec into the pool. Jack was loving being in the water and they laughed because Alec said to Rose he seemed drawn to it just like she had been. Jack was also paying much more attention and was an expert at flinging food at poor Daisy when she tried to feed him but she was getting good at dodging it and would tickle him when he did it. Jack was developing quite a laugh which reminded Rose of how the Doctor and she used to laugh together.

They had a great week together and Rose bet Alec that people would think Tony was theirs the way he clung to Alec all the time and he ended up a few times telling the staff when he went to collect him that he wasn't. They ventured out a few times onto the beach and into the town but Tony insisted on a quick visit to the pool when they got back. It ended all too soon and they made the journey across to London which wasn't too bad since they went across country missing Broadchurch out. They stayed the night and settled Jack in then on the Sunday, Rose and Alec drove down to Brighton where Alec had booked them four nights in a luxury seafront hotel with spa and swimming pool.

It was a bit early for a second anniversary celebration but they made it into one. When they arrived, Rose suddenly realised that she was due to have another injection before they got back home but Alec had other plans. He persuaded Rose not to have any more and have another baby, not that she needed much persuasion. They were hoping it would be fairly quick like she was with Jack but said they would wait and see. They more than enjoyed their time away and Alec rang Jackie to see if she was ok with them staying another night and she agreed so they booked it as the room wasn't needed. On the last night, Alec took Rose out to a restaurant in the town, complete with candlelight and very romantic music because it was going to be the last night they'd be alone for quite some time and he wanted it to be special. Plus, Rose should have had her injection the day before and he thought that it would be the perfect time for them to try for another baby.

They had been shopping earlier in the day and Alec had disappeared for a while when Rose went in a dress shop and when they got back to the hotel, he had bought her some very sexy underwear which he demanded she tried on. Rose was more than willing to co-operate and undressed in front of him, slowly putting the new underwear on and letting him lay her on the bed. After their last night in Brighton, they travelled back to pick up Daisy and Jack and stayed overnight, driving back the next morning.

The end of the summer came all too soon. Rose and Daisy had taken Jack out most days either to the local beach or Broadchurch, where they would meet Alec and Ellie for lunch or sometimes they would go shopping. They had started taking Jack into the water when Alec was with them. September was Daisy's new college start, they both went with her the first day but just dropped her off and she had found out how to get home by bus. On Rose and Alec's second wedding anniversary, Daisy looked after Jack and they went to a new place in Broadchurch, getting a taxi. Daisy had told Alec she was capable of looking after Jack for the night and they were only about fifteen minutes away so without telling Rose, they left the restaurant and Alec got the taxi to drop them at the hotel which he had arranged and they stayed the night. Alec had bought her a silver bracelet to match her necklace and Rose had bought Alec some handcuff cufflinks which he thought was amusing and what had happened to buying him watches?

Jack's first birthday in November was coming up and everyone was looking forward to it. Daisy was doing well in college and had taken Carly's place working in the gallery on Saturday and holidays as Carly had gone away to university. Rose and Alec had been trying for another baby at every opportunity they could find, Rose was disappointed the first three months then just before Jack's birthday, Alec knew she had missed the month before and they were waiting to do a test. Then the Sunday morning before Jack's birthday when they got back from their run and had their sofa time, Alec joined her in the bathroom to watch the results. Even Daisy heard them shouting and she was in the kitchen feeding Jack, who was wearing most of his food as Rose shouted YES! at the top of her voice. She was four weeks and they were both ecstatic, flinging their arms around each other, Alec picking her up and spinning her around the bathroom and stopping to kiss her.

They rang Jackie to give her the good news, she and Pete were over the moon, then they told Jake and when Ellie and the boys came over, told them as well. The following weekend they were going to have a party for Jack so now they had two things to celebrate. On the morning of Jack's birthday, Rose and Alec didn't go for their normal run which they were going to cut down anyway and spent the morning with him trying to encourage him to climb onto the sofa and to try to say something but he just kept laughing at Alec who was pulling faces at him and grabbing at Alec's beard so they were all laughing. Alec had bought him a ride on toy that he could sit in and be pushed around or do it himself so it was going to be bruised legs all around.

After his party and talking to Pete and Jackie they were about to get him his bath and put him to bed, when he climbed up on the sofa on his own next to his dad, who was surprised to say the least and climbed on to Alec's knee and reached his arms out so Alec held him up as Jack stood supported and Rose dashed over to sit beside them. Jack turned towards Rose and made towards her as she held her arms out and he looked at Alec and said, "Daddy." Then he turned to Rose and said "Mummy," as he passed over to her waiting arms and she held him close, with Alec putting an arm around the boy. Daisy was amazed at the sudden transformation as the boy clung to his parents and Rose was kissing his cheek. Before long, he was talking more every day and would surprise Alec when he came home and could walk across the room unaided although he still liked his ride on toy and Daisy to push him. Rose would pick him up and show him the model of the Tardis and he could say the word and she would get it from the cabinet and open the doors for him to look inside and he would laugh.

Rose had to stop driving again so it was arranged Daisy would get a bus back to the village and if she got stuck she was to go to Ellie's and wait for her dad. Alec would bring the shopping home and he and Daisy would take Jack out on Saturday mornings to give Rose a rest and they would go to the beach on Sundays. They had been back to London again for Jack to have a checkup and his brainwaves were now off the scale for his age. Doctor Harper was amazed at his capabilities and told them they must now be careful he didn't display any outward signs to others and if he was with other children. It was something they were going to have to deal with when he started nursery school in few years time and they would have to be a few cover-ups provided by Torchwood as well as themselves.

Over the summer, Daisy would work part-time at the gallery but as Rose got bigger, she had to help her more and one night when Alec got home, Daisy asked them if it was ok if she started to call Rose 'Mum' as she had been careful not to say her name in front of Jack who was chattering away by now. Rose was thrilled and said yes without hesitation as they both hugged her. They went on a short summer break before Daisy went back to college.

Alec spent more time with his son who was growing fast and not yet two and as Rose got nearer her time, Jack seemed to cling to her more when they were on their own, talking away, always asking questions and in lots of ways, he was reminding her so much of the Doctor. Alec himself was learning more and more and when Jack would be ready to find out who he was then he would have all the answers and would show him the Torchwood Database and where his mother and grandmother came from and about the Doctor.

Rose gave birth to a baby girl in August, cursing Alec again as she went into labour and they named her Ruby May because the song "Ruby" was Alec's favourite since Daisy was playing it over and over again on the way back from Glasgow when she first moved down and on the way there and back on every outing the family made. Everyone came for her naming ceremony, the Tylers managed to squeeze in as Jack had moved out of the nursery, Ruby was in Jack's crib they had used for him and was in Rose and Alec's room with Alec having to move the sofa out of the way.

Their family was growing fast, Ruby showed no signs of being anything but fully human much to her parents relief. Rose and Alec's love for each other had grown even stronger, forever taking every opportunity to show it, sneaking off and leaving Daisy for a while when Ruby was asleep and Jack was safely in the large padded playpen full of toys or watching TV.

Alec would often sit with Jack, showing him the pocket watch, sometimes he swore to Rose he had heard faint voices like they were coming from far away, saying Rose's name, Tardis and Timelords and Jack would be fascinated by it. Jack reached his second birthday, so full of life, never sitting still, always talking and giving Tony competition when he visited.

They now had no more need to open the pocket watch although Alec carried it every time he wore a suit. They had often looked at it, hoping something more would happen like the Doctor speaking to them again and the bright light but it never did.

The End!


End file.
